Be With You
by sophie-the-duchess
Summary: When Marinette and Adrien rekindle their romance at their high school reunion, a jealous Chloe gets akumatized into the villain Witchkraft. Ladybug and Cat Noir try to stop her, only to end up falling victim to a lust spell. How will the ramifications of the lusty liaison between Lady and Cat affect the love between Mari and Adrien? LadyNoir/Adrienette. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_Act I_

–

"Ladybug, deliver your Miraculous to me!"

Marinette groaned. Another day, another one of Hawk Moth's akumatized villains. This one appeared to be some sort of mailman; maybe he had been attacked by a neighbor's dog, causing him to become consumed by negative emotions that Hawk Moth could exploit. Or something like that. Marinette wasn't sure, and she didn't have time to figure it out.

She glanced around; her partner, Cat Noir, was nowhere in sight.

"Give it to me! Now!" Mailmanic urged, reaching out his hand to the red-and-black spotted superheroine standing before him.

She didn't have time for Hawk Moth's villainous shenanigans; prior to Mailmanic's appearance, she had been on her way to Adrien's house to ask him something very important. Very, _very_ important.

And still no sign of Cat Noir arriving anytime soon.

With a sigh, the masked heroine threw her yo-yo up into the air. She couldn't afford to wait for the nefariously flirty kitty any longer. He'd probably only hold her back from getting to Adrien sooner, anyway. It was already getting late, and by the time she was done vanquishing Hawk Moth's latest puppet it would most likely be way too late of an hour to disturb the Agrestes.

Marinette stomped her foot in frustration. Why did it always happen this way?

"Lucky Charm!" she cried, watching the yo-yo as it spun and spun before releasing a burst of light, transforming into…

"A bouncy ball?"

She pinched the red rubber ball between her fingers, eyeing it suspiciously. It looked no better than one of those cheap little toys that one could get out of a gumball machine for only a few cents.

Scanning her surroundings, Marinette noticed the lamppost behind Mailmanic, right as he lifted his magic envelope to shoot another stream of razor sharp letters at her. That _had_ to be where the akuma was hiding. Thinking quickly, she took aim and threw the ball as hard as she could; it ricocheted off of the metal post with enough force to knock the envelope out of Mailmanic's grip, sending it flying to land at Marinette's feet. She picked it up and ripped it in half, releasing the evil akuma inside.

Without hesitation, she captured the butterfly in her yo-yo and de-evilized it before releasing it, watching it flutter away before using her Miraculous ability to reset everything to the way it was before the mailman's akumatization.

"Wh-what happened?" the confused letter carrier stammered as he stared at Ladybug with wide eyes, having transformed back to his normal self with no memory of the damage he had caused. "The last thing I remember was finding this love letter that my wife sent to her lover, and then everything went black."

 _Yikes._

Marinette looked to the rooftops and sighed. Although it didn't matter now, she tried calling Cat Noir once again on his phone. It rang twice before dropping out.

 _Where is that darn Cat?_

–

"I thought that you were going to ask Ladybug to the dance?" Plagg questioned between bites of Camembert cheese.

The Parisian evening was warm and calm as Adrien Agreste walked the streets, with only a light breeze disturbing the fragrant springtime flowers that bloomed in puffy pink clouds on the trees. It was a perfect evening for his proposal; he was going to ask his classmate Marinette Dupain-Cheng to accompany him to the end-of-year dance. He had no doubt that she'd agree to go with him; over the years, he had noticed the way that she looked at him and behaved oddly whenever he was around. Perhaps he had been oblivious to it at first, but as time went on and he got to know her more, her feelings for him became more and more apparent.

Plus, Alya had told Nino who had told Adrien about Marinette's feelings for him, erasing any doubt. It was undeniable; Marinette was head-over-heels in love with him. And he felt the same for her in return.

He was going to ask Marinette to the dance, and then he was going to finally confess his feelings for her. It felt so good to finally be _so close_ to telling her that he loved her that even the odor of Plagg's stinky snack couldn't dampen his exuberant mood.

Adrien smirked at his kwami companion. "Can I let you in on a little secret?"

Plagg scarfed down the last of his cheese and nodded.

"I'm starting to think that maybe Marinette and Ladybug are the same person."

Plagg gasped. "What makes you so sure?"

"Just a few things I've noticed," Adrien said with a shrug.

"Like what?"

"Well, Marinette and Ladybug both have the same scent. Like strawberries and roses," he explained, his eyes taking on a dreamy look.

"So, what?" Plagg snorted. "Lots of girls wear the same perfume."

"It's not only that. They're both strong and courageous and kind to others."

"That's not enough proof."

Adrien sighed; there was no way he was going to convince his kwami pal.

"Trust me, okay? It's my instincts. I am a cat, after all."

Plagg rolled his eyes.

They reached the bakery where Marinette and her parents lived. After rapping his knuckles on the door, Adrien took a step back and waited. His phone began ringing in his pocket; he took it out to see Ladybug calling him.

"That's the third time she's called you," Plagg murmured from his hiding spot inside Adrien's jacket. "It's probably important."

"I'll meet up with Ladybug after this," Adrien whispered back as he stuffed the device back into his pocket. "She can handle herself. Right now, _this_ is more important. The dance is tomorrow, so I _have_ to ask Marinette tonight."

"I thought Ladybug _was_ Marinette," the small kwami mumbled sarcastically, annoyed by the obvious holes in his friend's theory.

The door opened. Tom Dupain, Marinette's father, looked down at him.

"Adrien Agreste," he greeted. "You're from Marinette's class, aren't you?"

"Y-yes, sir," Adrien answered nervously. His throat was suddenly incredibly dry; Cat Noir was never nervous about anything, so why was he nervous now?

"Is Marinette home?"

Tom nodded. "She's in her room. I'll go get her for you."

The large man disappeared, returning a couple of minutes later with a frown.

"I'm sorry, I guess she's not here. She must be at Alya's house tonight. Did you want to leave a message for me to relay to her when she gets back?"

Adrien visibly deflated. "Oh, no thank you, that's not necessary. You have a good night."

"Take care." Marinette's father closed the door.

" _Now_ will you find out what Ladybug wants?" Plagg urged, poking Adrien's ribs. "There could be trouble."

Sighing, Adrien pulled his phone out and dialed Ladybug. It rang four times before going to voicemail.

"That's strange." He shrugged. "Oh well. If it's really important, I'm sure she'll call again."

Adrien turned and made his way back to his house, pondering whether or not Marinette's absence and Ladybug's calls were at all related, or if they were merely a coincidence.

–

Upon returning home, Marinette went straight to her room and flopped herself onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. Tikki flew around her head, coming to rest on the pillow beside her friend.

"What's wrong, Marinette?" the doe-eyed kwami inquired in her tiny voice. "You did great tonight."

Marinette rolled over to stare at the ceiling.

"I defeated Hawk Moth's villain, no thanks to Cat Noir, but I missed my chance with Adrien. Again."

It was already almost eleven o'clock at night; she had missed her window to go to Adrien's house and ask him to be her date to the dance tomorrow. She had already tried numerous times that week, but every time she had the opportunity, something came up that required her to transform into Ladybug and perform her duties as a superhero.

"I'm sorry, Marinette. Being the holder of the Miraculous is a lot of responsibility," Tikki squeaked.

"Too much responsibility," Marinette mumbled. Reaching over to her nightstand, she picked up the boutonnière that she had designed and crafted specifically for Adrien; it was a simple red rose with black polka dots, reminiscent of her Ladybug persona, nestled atop wisps of blue fern fronds and white baby's breath. Adrien didn't know that she was Ladybug yet, but she had planned on telling him at the dance, along with confessing her love for him.

Four years. She had been pining after Adrien Agreste for four long, lonely years, never once letting him know about her feelings. Now, her last chance to open up to him would be at their senior class end-of-the-year dance. It was the last time that she and Adrien and all of their schoolmates would be together before graduating and going their separate ways. She had run out of time and chances; she had to tell him now or never.

The pint-sized kwami perked up. "You could still ask him tomorrow at school, right?"

Marinette squeezed the boutonnière to her chest.

"I hope so."

–

The next morning couldn't have come soon enough. Despite only getting a few hours of sleep, dreaming of Adrien's beautiful green eyes and peachy lips, Marinette managed to make it to school before the bell, catching up with Alya on the stone steps outside the front entrance.

"There you are, girl!" her best friend greeted with a laugh, wincing when she noticed the dark bags below Marinette's eyes. Ever the perfect comrade, she reached into her bag for a tube of cucumber eye cream, squirting a dollop onto the tip of her finger and dabbing it beneath both of Marinette's eyes.

"Thanks, Alya."

"You didn't text me last night," Alya said teasingly once she was finished. "How did it go with Loverboy? Did he say yes? You look tired as hell, so I'm hoping that's a _good_ sign. Please, tell me all about it, and don't leave out _any_ of the sordid details."

She winked and nudged her blue-eyed friend with her elbow.

Marinette pressed her lips together. "He didn't say anything. Because… I didn't ask him."

"Oh no," the auburn-haired girl bemoaned, putting her fists on her hips. "Don't tell me you lost your nerve again."

"No, it wasn't that." Marinette sighed. "Something… _important_ came up."

" _What_ could be more important than Adrien Agreste, the love of your life and future husband?"

Sometimes Marinette felt guilty for keeping her secret identity as Ladybug from her best friend, and more than once she had thought about telling her, but now was neither a good time nor place for such a reveal.

She shook her head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Go ask him," Alya encouraged with a gentle shove. "He'll say yes, you'll go to the dance together, he'll realize that he's _madly_ in love with you, and you'll end up spending the rest of your lives having tons of little babies and growing old together."

Marinette snorted, feeling the spark of confidence reignite within herself; Alya always knew what to say to cheer her up. She supposed that's why they had been such good friends for so long.

Giving her best friend a quick hug, Marinette turned and marched towards the doors to the school, determined to find Adrien and ask him to the dance once and for all. She patted the pocket of her blazer to reassure herself that the boutonnière was still there.

Upon entering, however, Marinette was shocked to her core by the scene that greeted her; Adrien stood in the middle of the hallway (looking as handsome as ever) with his arms around the insufferable Chloe Bourgeois, as she excitedly and continuously screeched loudly enough for anyone passing by to hear.

"Oh, Adri-kins, I _knew_ that you were going to ask me to the dance! What took you so long? You know I wouldn't have said 'yes' to anyone but you!"

Despair fell like a rock to the bottom of Marinette's stomach; Adrien had asked _Chloe_ to be his date the dance. She was too late; she had missed her final chance.

As though she could sense her rival's presence, Chloe turned to see Marinette watching them with her mouth agape, and grinned wickedly. Adrien noticed her at the same time, and his face fell upon seeing the hurt in her expression.

"Marinette! Didn't you hear?" Chloe announced smugly. "Adrien has just asked me to be his date to the dance tonight."

Marinette recovered quickly, shaking her head to clear it. "I… I heard. Good for you two."

Adrien tried to pull himself out of Chloe's embrace, but she held onto him fast, like an octopus wrapping her prey in her tentacles.

"Chloe, maybe we should take a second to talk about this," Adrien whispered. "I _didn't_ ask you, you just ambushed me talking about the dance and decided on your own that we would go together–"

Chloe elbowed Adrien in the side to get him to shut up.

"Hey!" he cried out.

"Who are _you_ going to the dance with, Marinette? Since I _know_ that no one has asked you to be their date," Chloe continued, finding joy in tormenting the dark-haired girl further. "I'm not sure if there's anyone in this school who would even _want_ to go with you. Actually, on second thought, I bet that art freak Nathaniel would absolutely say 'yes' if you asked _him_."

Maybe it was the sleep deprivation, or the reality that she had lost her chance with Adrien forever, but Marinette found that she couldn't pretend to be strong and unaffected by Chloe's cruel taunts any longer. She wanted to snap back or walk past the witch with her head held high, but she couldn't; instead, Marinette spun on her heel and ran out of the door and down the steps before anyone– especially Chloe– could see the tears that had already begun to fall from her eyes.

Adrien watched her go, his shoulders slumping in defeat, a tragic sort of longing twisting his gut like a fist. It was too late; if he tried to reject Chloe now, she would only make an even bigger scene. And as much as he didn't want to see Marinette so hurt, he didn't want to lose Chloe as a friend, either.

Why did it always happen this way?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey y'all! This is my first time writing for this ship, so if you're new to my writing style I just want to warn you that I do tend to throw in some dark themes and adult material here and there as the story goes on. So, if you're not a fan of death, violence, sexual themes, and lots of angst and self-loathing, please kindly feel free to stop reading. If you are into that sort of stuff, then enjoy the story. Thank you!**

–

Marinette flew past her parents as she entered the bakery without greeting them, blinded by her tears.

"Marinette, why aren't you in school?" Sabine gasped. Her daughter didn't respond; she made a beeline for the staircase and vanished into the apartment upstairs, stopping only once she'd reached her room and locked the door behind her.

Marinette threw herself onto her bed and hugged her pillow tightly, sobbing into it as Tikki solemnly emerged from her purse. For perhaps the first time, the kwami was unsure of what she could say to make the situation better. Instead, she waited for Marinette to be the one to speak.

As her crying slowed from sobs to sniffles, Marinette turned her head, allowing her tears to dampen the fabric of her pillowcase.

"I can't believe I missed every chance with Adrien," she lamented. "And it's all because I hold the Miraculous."

Tikki scooted up next to her friend, nuzzling her hair. "Everything happens for a reason, Marinette."

Marinette only shook her head. "I never wanted the responsibility of the Miraculous in the first place. How different would my life be if I had never accepted it?"

"Paris needed you," Tikki squeaked softly. "You've saved so many people. Without you, who knows what could've happened. Hawk Moth could have taken over all of Paris– or worse."

Her features softened. "And you never would have met Cat Noir."

Marinette knew that Tikki had a point; Cat Noir was a great friend and partner. But even a friend as great as that darn cat didn't mean anything if she didn't have Adrien.

She was always performing selfless acts, doing things for others; when was the last time she had done anything for herself?

She had to do something to break the cycle.

Marinette sat up on the edge of her bed, wiping at her eyes with her fingers. "I can't keep doing this, Tikki. I can't keep letting my life go by without me, while I'm out saving everyone but myself."

"W-what are you saying?"

"I'm sorry, Tikki, I just can't deal with this right now. Or anymore." She reached up to her ear and popped off one of her earrings.

Tikki's beady eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Marinette, wait!"

In one fluid movement, she removed the other earring from her other ear; the little kwami vanished from sight.

Rising from her bed, Marinette made her way to the special lock box she had made for her diary; she opened it and deposited the Ladybug Miraculous inside, locking it shut with a click that seemed to echo throughout the ages with its cold finality.

To the side of her desk stood her fashion mannequin, dressed in the strapless petal pink swing dress that Marinette had designed for herself. With trembling fingers, she pulled the boutonnière for Adrien from her pocket and pinned it to the breast.

"I'm so sorry… Tikki… Master Fu… Adrien," she whispered into the quiet emptiness that surrounded her, allowing the hollowness she felt within herself to sink its fangs into her heart.

–

The motor of the mechanized skylight whirred as the metal shield opened, revealing a stunning bird's eye view of Paris. Hawk Moth stood in the center of the room, surrounded by his flock of unsettled white butterflies as they flitted about.

"What's this?" he mused. "I sense a broken heart, but I cannot see the reason for its cause."

He narrowed his eyes; the heartbreak belonged to none other than that little ditz Marinette who was always hanging around Adrien. Perhaps she was upset that Adrien was attending the dance with Chloe instead of herself; it was high time that she realized that she was below him.

He held out a gloved hand, palm upward, for a single akuma to land upon, closing the creature gently in his grasp.

"No matter. A broken heart will work perfectly for my machinations."

Unfurling his fingers, Hawk Moth allowed the evilized akuma to fly free, out of the window and into the city below.

"Go, my little akuma, and evilize her!"

–

Adrien forced a smile as Chloe took the seventeenth selfie of them together with her phone, pressing her cheek to his with enough force to bruise his cheekbone. Although she looked stunning in a sparkling silver Alexander McQueen gown with her hair styled in soft golden ringlets, Adrien couldn't find a speck of genuine happiness inside of himself at being Chloe's date to the dance.

He wished more than anything that it was Marinette he was accompanying.

Nathalie emerged from from Gabriel Agreste's office, her no-nonsense heels clicking on the marble floor as she crossed the lobby of the manor.

"Your father is working tonight," she announced upon reaching the formally-dressed young couple. "He will not be seeing you off. But he wanted me to wish you a good time at the dance and to remember that your curfew is still ten o'clock sharp."

Adrien sighed. He expected as much. But it wasn't too disappointing; the fewer witnesses to see that his silver tie matched Chloe's dress, the better. Even the traditional corsage he had given Chloe had a silver wristband. Maybe it was the model in him, but Adrien had a knack for coordination; a talent he knew that aspiring fashion designer Marinette would have appreciated.

"But," Nathalie continued, her voice low. "I would not be opposed to covering for you, should you arrive home no later than ten-thirty."

Adrien perked up slightly; as calculated and conservative as Nathalie was, she could be nice– in her own way– when she wanted to be.

"Thanks, Nathalie," Adrien said with a wave as he escorted Chloe outside to the silver limo he had chartered for the evening. His romanticism was wasted on her, however, when her only reaction was to grieve out loud that it wasn't the _right_ make and model of stretch limousine to make the best impression on their classmates when they pulled up to the event hall.

"But I suppose it will have to do," she sighed as she slid into the back seat. With a roll of his eyes, Adrien mustered up all of his remaining willpower to get inside of the vehicle with her.

–

Marinette sadly admired the dress that she had spent weeks on, turning this way and that to look over her reflection in the mirror. She had gone to eight different fabric shops across Paris to find the perfect shade of blush pink satin, and had meticulously crafted the bodice with boning to accentuate her figure in all the right places. She had sewn it all herself without help, too, including the many underlayers of the voluminous skirt.

A single tear slipped down her cheek. She was sure that the dress would have made quite the impression on Adrien.

Her parents had stopped knocking on her door about ten minutes ago, telling Marinette that when she was ready to talk they'd be downstairs, but she had no intention of leaving her room any time soon; not to join her parents, and definitely not to go to the dance.

As her fingertips brushed over the boutonnière, her heart was crushed by a new wave of grief at having missed her chance with Adrien, when it suddenly darkened beneath her fingertips; the rose turned black, as did the rest of her dress, spreading to her heeled shoes. Her skin changed to a bright crimson color and erupted all over with black spots, as iridescent, beetle-like wings sprouted from her back.

Her mind became hazy, void of any thoughts except for one: vengeance.

" _Lovebug,_ " said a deep voice inside of her head. " _I am Hawk Moth. I have given you the ability to break the heart of anyone who has broken yours. In return, all that I ask of you is that you retrieve Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous– and bring them to me._ "

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Marinette knew that she should reject his proposal, should fight his influence over her, but she was lost to the darkness, drunk on the dark power that Paris's most notorious villain had gifted her.

A fleeting image of Adrien's smiling visage flashed across her vision before her will power dissipated entirely.

"Yes, Hawk Moth."

–

The dance was already in full swing by the time Adrien and Chloe arrived; the mayor's daughter had insisted on arriving fashionably late, ensuring that they would have an audience when the school's most talked about pairing finally pulled up.

Once inside, Adrien immediately linked up with Nino and Alya near the refreshments table, desperate for any company besides Chloe.

"Hey there, Prince Charming," Alya greeted. Her normally wild locks were swept up into an elegant coiffure, and her cobalt blue sheath dress perfectly accentuated Nino's tie.

"Where's the Wicked Witch of the West?" Nino piped in, causing the couple to burst into a fit of giggles.

Adrien awkwardly glanced around; he spotted Chloe near the door, berating Sabrina for having the same corsage as her.

"But, Max gave it to me," the orange-haired girl tried to explain.

"I don't care, take it off! I told you that yellow roses were _my_ thing."

With a pout, Sabrina did as she was commanded, reluctantly handing the corsage over to Chloe.

Adrien watched with disdain in his stare as his date made her way back over to the group, dropping Sabrina's corsage into a trash bin along the way.

"Chloe, was that really necessary?" he asked once she was back on his arm again.

"She knows better," Chloe snapped; then, her face softened. "Adri-kins, aren't you going to ask me to dance?"

"Yeah, sure, in a minute," Adrien replied, turning his attention back to Alya and Nino. "Hey, have either of you guys seen Marinette?"

Beside him, Chloe frowned at the question.

"No, we haven't seen her." Alya appeared worried. "She hasn't answered any of my texts or calls."

"Who cares about that whiny brat Marinette? She probably didn't come because she was too embarrassed to show up without a date." Chloe scoffed. "Come on, Adri-kins, I want to dance."

Before Adrien could protest, Chloe had grabbed him by the hand and dragged him to the center of the dance floor. As luck would have it, the upbeat tempo switched to a slow song right as Chloe threw her arms around Adrien's neck; Adrien recognized it as being the same song that he and Marinette had slow danced to at Chloe's party all those years ago. His first slow dance with a girl.

"Poor Marinette," Adrien murmured. "I hope she's alright."

"Ugh, are we _still_ talking about her?" Chloe rolled her eyes and retched in disgust. "In case you've forgotten, Adrien Agreste, _I'm_ your date tonight. It's not polite to be focused on another girl."

"I suppose you're right," Adrien mumbled. He had thought that maybe, just _maybe_ , he and Marinette could have snuck away for a dance at some point in the night.

 _If only she was here…_

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden crash from the front of the room. A group of students who had been standing near the door screamed and scrambled away in fright; Adrien whipped around to see a dark silhouette with shiny wings fly into the hall and over the stunned crowd, her sky blue eyes glittering as they reflected the multicolored lights that spanned the ceiling.

"One of Hawk Moth's akumatized villains!" he shouted, throwing Chloe behind himself to protect her.

"Look at all of the happy couples," the villain seethed, her droll tone dripping with hate. She hovered above the deejay booth, scanning the crowd.

"I am Lovebug, Breaker of Hearts, and I'm here to squash the heart of the one who broke mine. Where is Chloe Bourgeois?"

"Stay back," Adrien instructed to Chloe, stepping to the side to try to find a hidden place to transform. The villain's eyes flicked towards the movement before he could steal out of the side door.

"Adrien Agreste," she acknowledged; her temperament seemed to waver for a moment before recovering. "You broke my heart. But I don't blame you. It's all that she-witch Chloe's fault!"

Adrien gasped as he realized Lovebug's true identity.

"Marinette?"

"Marinette is no more," Lovebug snapped. "I've become who I was meant to be. And if I can't have you… then no one can!"

"Please, Marinette, this isn't you," Adrien pleaded. "Hawk Moth is just using you to achieve his own goals."

"That may be true, but I've got time yet before Cat Noir shows up. I'll break Chloe's heart first, and then I'll pick off everyone here, one by one, until not a single bit of love or joy is left in the room." She smirked. "Then I'll snatch Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous and bring them to Hawk Moth, completing my mission so that I'll be free to continue breaking every heart in Paris."

"Who says that Hawk Moth is going to let you keep your new powers once you've done what he's asked?" Adrien said. He hoped that it wasn't obvious that he was trying to stall. "Once you're done with your mission for him, he'll probably dispose of you altogether. He wouldn't want anyone as powerful as him sticking around. Too much competition."

Lovebug seemed to consider his words.

"You have a point," she responded after a moment, rubbing her chin. "I'll just have to go after Hawk Moth myself and defeat him. _Then_ I'll be free to break every heart in Paris!"

Wings buzzing, Lovebug flitted back out the door and into the night. Adrien chased after her, but by the time he made it outside, she was gone.

Plagg poked his head out of Adrien's tuxedo pocket. "Time to transform and– why the long face, Adrien?"

Adrien stared down at his feet. "The owner of a Miraculous can't be akumatized, right?"

"As far as I know," Plagg said with a shrug. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Adrien sighed. "I was wrong. Marinette can't possibly be Ladybug, or else she wouldn't have been akumatized."

"We can worry about that later," the black cat kwami urged. "We've got bigger fish to fry right now!"

Kind, sweet, loving Marinette. How could she have been hurt so badly that she was able to be akumatized? Was it because of him, because he had allowed Chloe to bully him into being her date to the dance? Was it truly his fault that Marinette was suffering?

He needed to listen to Plagg and try to not worry about it until later.

Adrien clenched his fists. "You're right. Plagg, claws out!"


	3. Chapter 3

Adrien transformed in a hurry and ran as fast as his legs could carry him to Trocadero Plaza. If Marinette, in her akumatized form, truly meant to fight Hawk Moth, then she wouldn't be able to take him on alone.

He tried calling Ladybug on his way there; she didn't answer.

 _Why hasn't she been picking up the phone lately? That's so unlike my Lady._

He wondered if she was holding a grudge against him for him not answering the last time she had called him, but he disowned the thought as soon as it entered his mind; Ladybug wasn't petty like that. It was one of the many things he admired about his crime-fighting partner-in-heroism.

Either way, he made a mental note to make it up to her later with a romantic gesture, maybe with a bouquet of flowers; although his heart belonged to Marinette, Ladybug was an important woman in his life, and his heart still fluttered like the wings of a butterfly whenever she was near.

He reached the plaza in no time at all and skidded to a halt. There was no sign of Lovebug or Hawk Moth anywhere.

"Come out, Lovebug," he called out warily, glancing this way and that, using his heightened cat-like senses to try to sniff her out. He positioned his gloved hands for combat, claws at the ready.

A small voice from behind him caught Adrien by surprise. "C-Cat Noir?"

He turned to see Lovebug approaching, her blue eyes wide and full of fright. The buoyant skirt of her black dress swished as she tentatively stepped towards him.

Adrien's face softened, and he lowered his hands an inch.

"Marinette? Is that you?"

Lovebug nodded. "What's happening to me?"

Hearing the fear in her voice gripped Adrien's heart like a vice; he hated seeing her so vulnerable.

"You've been akumatized," Adrien started, slowly making his way forward, towards her; he put both hands up in front of himself to show that he wasn't a threat.

Marinette gasped. "By Hawk Moth?"

Adrien nodded; he walked until he was standing toe-to-toe with her high-heeled shoes.

"Everything's going to be alright," he promised, taking both of her hands in his and grasping them lightly. "Ladybug will be here soon, and then we'll get you back to normal."

Teary-eyed, Marinette threw her arms around Cat Noir and embraced him in a hug, pressing the whole of her body along his front until she was completely flush against him.

"Thank you, Cat Noir," she murmured into the space between his neck and shoulder, nuzzling her head there. Adrien allowed himself to hold her, twining his own arms around her back.

Even as a villain, she smelled like his Marinette; fresh berries and red roses and a hint of sweet, creamy vanilla. He inhaled deeply, intoxicated by the scent.

So intoxicated, in fact, that he didn't notice the thorny vines that had wrapped around his ankles and wrists, trapping him.

Marinette suddenly dipped low and backed out of his hold on her, leaving him tied to the spot.

"That was almost _too_ easy," she laughed. "I always knew that your need for affection would get you in trouble one day, Kitty Cat."

Adrien struggled against his bindings, but it was no use; she had gotten him good. They seemed to be coming directly from the black rose boutonnière pinned to the front of Lovebug's gown. His only hope now would be Ladybug, but he found himself doubting whether or not she'd show up.

He had been let down by both of his life's leading ladies in the same day.

"You tricked me," Adrien hissed as he squirmed. It came out sounding more hurt than pissed off.

"I did," Lovebug gloated with a gleam in her eye. "And now all that we have to do is wait for Hawk Moth to get here."

"And how exactly do you plan on drawing him out?"

"Why, with your Miraculous, of course." Lovebug licked her blackened lips.

Adrien tensed, afraid that she was going to take his Miraculous, but she turned away from him and walked towards the center of the plaza, her heels clicking on the pavement.

"Hawk Moth," she called out, spinning in a circle. "I've ensnared Cat Noir for you."

" _Good, good,_ " came the same deep timbre from before inside of her head. " _Now, remove his Miraculous and bring it to me!_ "

"I don't think I can do that." Lovebug nonchalantly inspected her fingernails. "First of all, I don't even know _where_ you are, so how am I supposed to bring it to you? It'd be _much_ easier if you just come meet me here."

She paused for dramatic effect; Hawk Moth said nothing.

"And if you _are_ going to come here, then you might as well revel in your victory and take Cat Noir's Miraculous yourself. Wouldn't _you_ like to be the one to reveal Cat Noir's true identity?"

Hawk Moth hummed, considering her proposition.

" _Very well,_ " he agreed at last. " _Stay where you are. And keep Cat Noir where he is. Don't let him escape._ "

"As you command." Lovebug smirked.

She turned back around to see Cat Noir straining against his bindings once again.

"You won't be able to break those," she sneered. "Not even with your Cataclysm."

"Wanna bet?"

He tried to free one hand, and then the other, but it was hopeless. She had him wrapped up tight. Without the ability to perform his special move, he was definitively stuck.

A dark figure appeared in the shadows at the edge of the plaza; as it moved forward, into the light of the street lamp, it became apparent that the newcomer was none other than Hawk Moth himself, his metallic butterfly brooch shimmering.

He chuckled evilly. "Great work capturing Cat Noir, Lovebug."

"Thank you, Hawk Moth."

The tall, suited man strode towards where Cat Noir stood rooted to the spot, the tip of his cane tapping on the ground as he went.

"Finally. Your Miraculous is mine!"

"Not so fast," Lovebug interrupted, stepping between Hawk Moth and her captive. "What's in it for me?"

"What?" Hawk Moth bared his teeth. "You are in no position to be bargaining with me. If you recall, _I_ am the one who gave you your powers in the first place!"

"And what's stopping you from taking them away from me as soon as you've gotten what you want?" Lovebug raised a single finger in a scolding gesture. "I want to ensure that I'll get to keep my powers even after you've acquired Cat Noir's Miraculous."

"You've served your purpose, and you've served it well," Hawk Moth started slowly. He narrowed his eyes at his minion. "But you've become insubordinate. And for that reason, I shall recall my akuma now, stripping you of your powers immediately."

"So, what if I just take Cat Noir's Miraculous for myself? Then I'll be as powerful or even more powerful than you." Lovebug quirked an eyebrow.

"How dare you," Hawk Moth hissed, clenching his fist. He reached for Lovebug's boutonnière but was stopped by her hand grabbing his wrist.

Hawk Moth spun out of her grip easily, coming back at her with his cane; Lovebug dodged it, taking to the air, her wings buzzing.

"Sit tight, Kitty," she instructed to Cat Noir, before swooping down and hooking her arms under either of Hawk Moth's shoulders, lifting him into the air with her, ignoring his protestations. Adrien watched in awe as the pair flew off to the uppermost level of the Eiffel Tower.

Free from Lovebug's supervision at last, Adrien managed to yank one of his hands free.

"Cataclysm!" he cried, activating his power. His hand began to tingle with energy. With his claws out, he slashed at the vines that had begun to snake around his torso, destroying the entire entrapment in one stroke. His ring beeped.

The countdown had begun. He didn't have much time left.

As soon as he was free, Adrien booked it towards the Eiffel Tower, climbing the structure in a dozen long leaps. He arrived in time to see Lovebug and Hawk Moth dueling each other atop one of the observation decks, with Lovebug flitting about while Hawk Moth battled her with his cane as his weapon.

And still no indication that Ladybug would be arriving anytime soon. Maybe Marinette really _could_ be Ladybug after all. But then, how could she have gotten akumatized? Unless she had somehow lost her Miraculous, and that's why she hadn't been answering his calls.

What if Hawk Moth already had the Ladybug Miraculous in his possession? If Ladybug had lost her Miraculous power to him, would she have tried to seek Cat Noir out in her civilian form to let him know about it? It was anyone's guess.

Hawk Moth landed a particularly strong blow to Lovebug's side, knocking her out of the air. She landed a few feet from the suited villain, rolling onto her hands and knees as she sputtered; she had been struck in the side of the head in the midst of the duel, and she gingerly brought a hand up to her temple to try to keep her vision from spinning.

"Enough of this," Hawk Moth snarled. He raised his cane above her neck in her vulnerable state with the intent to finish her off for good.

"Marinette, look out!" Adrien shouted as he shot forward, tackling Hawk Moth to the floor.

What happened next seemed to occur in slow motion: Hawk Moth tore himself out of Cat Noir's hold, but he was too close to the edge of the platform to go very far. His heeled shoe slid along the floor and over the edge, causing him to lose his balance, and he flung his arms out to try to steady himself as he toppled over the edge.

Lovebug lunged for him, reaching out to try to catch him before Adrien even knew what was happening.

" _No!_ " she screamed as he fell just out of her grasp, plummeting to the ground below. In a flash, Lovebug spread her wings and leapt over the edge, diving down after Hawk Moth. Cat Noir followed, calling after her as he scaled the side of the tower, all the way down to the foundation.

Hawk Moth hit the ground before either Lovebug or Cat Noir could save him.

Adrien jumped to land in front of where Marinette stood staring at Hawk Moth's unmoving body, rising from his crouching position to face her.

"Marinette…"

"I… I couldn't catch him."

"There was nothing you could do." He reached down between them and took one of her hands in his, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. Lovebug glanced down to to see his Miraculous blinking on his finger, and recognized the opportunity at hand; Adrien realized her intentions too late.

Before Cat Noir could retreat his hand, she pinched the ring between her thumb and forefinger and pulled, removing his Miraculous. A bright flash filled her vision as Cat started to transform in front of her.

She felt herself begin to change as well; the darkness seemed to seep out of her heart and left her body, until it dissipated completely. She felt lighter somehow. Her mind went hazy and she sank to her knees, clutching her head. Unbeknownst to Marinette, a tiny purple butterfly flew forth from her boutonniere, before dissolving into dust and scattering with the wind.

 _The last thing I remember is being in my room..._

Looking around, Marinette realized that she was dressed in her pink gown, sitting on the sidewalk in front of the Eiffel Tower. She couldn't remember why she was there, or how she had gotten there; it was as though she had fallen asleep and had been dreaming until now.

She looked up to see Adrien, dressed handsomely in a black and white tux, standing a couple of feet away with his back to her.

"Adrien?" Marinette blinked. "What are you doing here? What happened?"

She followed the direction of his gaze with her own; there, lying still on the pavement, was the lifeless form of Gabriel Agreste. A grotesque trickle of red trailed from his mouth, disappearing around his neck and into his silvery hair.

Marinette gasped and clapped the palm of her hand over her mouth; the sight immediately made her feel ill.

"Hawk Moth was my father all along." A single tear slipped down Adrien's cheek. "My father… was Paris's most ruthless villain."

Rising to stand on wobbly legs, Marinette forced herself to take a step towards Adrien. Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth? And now he was dead… how had it come to this? What horrible events had come to past in the time that she couldn't recall?

"Was I akumatized?" she asked fretfully, but she already knew the answer; she must have been. That was why she didn't remember anything from the past couple of hours.

That was why she didn't remember that Gabriel Agreste's death was her fault.

She had killed Adrien's father.

Marinette clawed at her face with her fingernails.

"This is my fault," she whispered. "I killed him."

Adrien whipped around to face her and his features softened. "No, Marinette, it's not your fault. You were akumatized and didn't have control–"

He reached for her, but she took a step back, shaking her head. Tears began to fall unchecked from her sad blue eyes and her vision blurred.

"I'm sorry… Adrien… I can't… I'm so sorry."

She spun on her heel and ran, not caring about which direction she was headed. The image of Adrien's sorrowful, tear-streaked face burned itself behind her eyelids.

"Marinette, wait! Please don't go!" he called after her, but she was already long gone.

"Adri-kins, is that you?" came another voice from the street across from the plaza. Chloe Bourgeois stepped into the glow of the streetlight and shrieked upon seeing the scene that had been set before her.

"Oh my– Adrien, _what happened?_ "

With hollow eyes, Adrien turned to face her, as police sirens began to wail in the distance. In an uncommon act of decency, Chloe opened her arms for him, and Adrien stepped into her embrace, allowing himself to be held. She didn't smell like strawberries and cream; she smelled like designer perfume. It was a strong, almost clinical fragrance, and reminded Adrien of a hospital. Not at all as warm and sensual as Marinette's scent.

He wished more than anything that it was Marinette– or Ladybug– comforting him instead.


	4. Chapter 4

_Act II_

–

 _Marinette didn't quit running until her chest ached and her lungs burned. She stumbled once or twice on her heels, but kept pushing through, stopping only once she hit a wrought iron railing, her petticoat snagging on one of the sharp finials of its intricate design._

 _Doubling over to catch her breath, she realized that she had reached the bank of the Seine, its rippling waters shimmering in the glow of the streetlamps like starlight. It was then that Marinette became aware of something hard clenched within her fist; unfurling her fingers, she was shocked to see that she was holding Cat Noir's ring. His Miraculous._

" _How did I…"_

–

Marinette awoke with a start; she had fallen asleep on the plane and had another dream about that night. The night that she had killed Adrien's father. Even after all of this time, she was still haunted by nightmares whenever she closed her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled her phone out of her purse and opened her list of contacts. She scrolled down to Adrien Agreste's name and opened her messages from him.

 _Good luck in New York._

Marinette stared at the words displayed on her phone screen. She had looked at them before, many times, reading the message over and over, as through there was a secret meaning hidden somewhere in between the letters.

Nearly ten years had passed since she had first received the text message from Adrien Agreste; her last ever correspondence from her adolescent love.

And she had never replied to it.

 _Good luck in New York._

Marinette sighed and stashed her phone back in her purse, looking out of the window at the city below. The plane would be landing soon, so she'd have to put it away anyway. Plus, she was twenty-seven years old now; much too old to still be pining for the boy she had a crush on in high school.

But, as much as she hated to admit it, she did.

She was a totally different person than she was ten years ago; she was older, wiser, and more mature. She had travelled the world and met many people from many cultures, some of whom she was glad to call her friends. She had discovered new favorite foods and developed a sense of style that was all her own. She had even casually dated her fair share of men.

Despite everything, the one thing that hadn't changed or wavered over time was her love for Adrien.

Marinette sighed again and let her head fall back against the headrest of her seat.

She'd be seeing him again soon enough.

–

A blood-curdling shriek announced Alya's presence before Marinette could even see her, coming from somewhere within the throng of people crowded at Charles de Gaulle Airport's baggage claim area. A head of auburn curls bobbed along, coming closer, as Alya pushed her way through the crowd to make it to Marinette.

"Mari!"

She threw herself at Marinette, slamming full-force into her in an exuberant hug.

"It's good to see you too, Alya." Marinette laughed, squeezing her best friend tighter. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you more," Alya retorted as she pulled away to playfully punch her black-haired friend on the arm.

"Hey!"

" _That's_ for leaving."

"Well, I'm back now," Marinette mumbled as she rubbed the tender spot on her arm. "Doesn't that count for something?"

"Of course it does." Alya flipped her hair over her shoulder; the rock on her left ring finger sparkled in the light. "But you're _never_ allowed to leave ever again."

"Okay, okay," Marinette giggled. She was beyond excited to be reunited with her best friend, despite the dread that simmered in her gut at being back in France again after so much time spent away; she hadn't been back since Alya and Nino's wedding three years previously. Adrien had been Nino's first choice to be his Best Man, but he had claimed that he had a work commitment, and so Nino's brother had stepped in instead.

Marinette couldn't help but feel that Adrien had lied about being busy just to avoid seeing her, and it had made her feel guilty all over again.

Her suitcase appeared on the carousel and she grabbed it, taking Alya by the hand as they walked out of the airport together.

–

The sunny Parisian day was warm and breezy, perfect weather for a leisurely lunch at Marinette's favorite streetside cafe. The outdoor patio was furnished with the cutest white cast iron tables and chairs, with bouquets of fresh flowers in clear glass vases placed in the center of each table.

"So, what have you been up to, girl?" Alya goaded, taking a bite of her baguette sandwich.

Marinette swallowed her own mouthful of food before speaking.

"Not much since your wedding. I have tenure at the fashion magazine, so I'll be reporting for them remotely from right here in Paris as their official Parisian correspondent."

Alya clapped her hands together. "That's exciting! Where are you going to be living in Paris?"

"Since I finally managed to sell my flat in Milan, I'll be staying with my parents for now, but once the transaction is finalized I was thinking of getting a townhome somewhere in the seventh arrondissement. That's where you and Nino still live, right?"

"Actually, we moved." Alya poked at a piece of melon on her plate with a fork. "We're ready to start a family, and our old place didn't have enough space."

Marinette's eyes lit up. "Are you saying that you and Nino are trying to get pregnant? That's wonderful news!"

"Thanks, girl." Alya smiled. "But you know what that means?"

Marinette shook her head, puzzled by what her friend could be hinting at.

"It _means_ that you're gonna have to hurry up and confess your love for Adrien so that you guys can get busy as soon as possible. I want our babies to be born at the same time so they can grow up together!"

Marinette's cheeks flushed pinker than the smoked salmon on the table in front of her.

"You m-must be joking," she stammered. Desperate for something to help cool her down, she took a large gulp from her glass of water.

"Oh, I'm as serious as a _heart attack_." Alya crossed her arms and smirked as she leaned back in her chair. "He still lives right here in Paris, you know. He never left."

"It's been ten years, I'm not– I mean, Adrien isn't–"

Marinette buried her face in her hands and groaned; trying to find the words to tell her best friend that she wasn't in love with Adrien anymore was impossible.

Impossible because she _was_ still in love with him, and it was written as clear as day all over her face.

After finally regaining her composure, Marinette straightened up and sighed.

"It doesn't matter, anyway," she started softly, staring down at her plate; she suddenly didn't feel very hungry anymore. "He backed out of being Nino's Best Man at your wedding because he was trying to avoid me. _And_ he's still with Chloe Bourgeois. They've been dating since I left Paris. As much as I tried to avoid seeing them, they're always popping up at fashion events as a couple, and they're always together in photographs in the papers."

Alya scoffed. "Girl, I work in the _entertainment news_ industry. And I have it on good authority that Adrien and Chloe haven't been an item in _years_."

Marinette perked up; it was an involuntary reaction. "What makes you say that?"

"From what _I've_ heard, from my _very_ reliable sources, they broke up for good during their second year of college, but Chloe refuses to go public about it. She still shows up wherever Adrien is and acts like they're together for the cameras. And Adrien is just too nice to tell her to get lost. It's the same crap she used to pull in high school!"

Marinette chewed on her lip, pondering this new information. All this time, she had just assumed that Adrien and Chloe were in a relationship, because that's how it had appeared.

"How can you be so sure, Alya?"

"Are you doubting my intel?" Her best friend grinned even wider. "Think about it, Marinette. If they've really been together for ten years, why haven't they gotten married yet? Or why haven't they moved in together, for that matter?"

Marinette shrugged. "Maybe Adrien enjoys his privacy."

 _Like his father did._

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat at the thought; she shook her head to clear it away.

"It's because they're not _in love_." Alya popped a piece of melon into her mouth. "And I know for a _fact_ that Adrien really did have to work the day of our wedding. It's not a big deal."

"If you say so," Marinette mumbled, moving her food around on her plate with her fork. Although she still felt uneasy about their upcoming high school reunion, the fact that Adrien Agreste was single and available gave her the tiniest sliver of hope that maybe she _could_ be forgiven and find happiness for once, without Chloe's interference.

–

Adrien Agreste had just locked up the shop when his phone rang, vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out to see his best friend, Nino Lahiffe, calling.

"What's up?" he greeted upon answering.

" _Dude, you'll never guess what Babe just told me,_ " came Nino's excited voice on the other end of the line.

Adrien stuffed his keys into his pocket. "What is it?"

Around him, the streetlamps came on one-by-one as the sun set beyond the city skyline, shrouding Paris in darkness. Although he was a grown man of twenty-eight years, dark streets always made him feel uneasy, despite the fact that a few people still milled about, finishing their shopping before heading to one of the expensive luxury restaurants that lined the block.

" _It's Marinette, dude! She's back in Paris!_ "

Adrien's heart skipped a beat at hearing Marinette's name; the name of his high school love. It had been ten long years since he had seen her last, on the night she had been akumatized and his father– revealed to be the evil villain Hawk Moth– had fallen to his death.

It was also the night that his Cat Miraculous had mysteriously gone missing. He assumed that, with the defeat of Hawk Moth, it had simply vanished; he had been unable to find the Butterfly Miraculous on his father's body, and Ladybug was never seen again. Perhaps once a Miraculous holder has served their purpose, their Miraculous disappears. Adrien wasn't sure, but it was his best guess.

He would have seen Marinette one final time at their graduation ceremony, but, in an unfortunate twist of fate, his father's funeral had been planned for the same day. Had he been able to see her then, he would have pulled her aside and begged her not to leave for New York. He would have confessed his love for her and kissed her senseless. He would have promised her the world.

But he had missed his chance, just as he had missed all of his other chances with the love of his life.

Sighing, Adrien pressed his hot forehead against the cold glass of the door to his shop.

"What does it matter? I'm sure she has a boyfriend." _Or a husband._

" _Alya says that she's single._ " Nino's voice pitched with excitement. " _And…_ "

"And what?" Adrien pressed.

" _She wants to see you._ "

Adrien's chest swelled with an optimism that he hadn't felt since… well, since before the events surrounding the revelation of his father's secret identity and subsequent untimely demise.

An elderly Chinese man bumped into him then, shoulder checking him rather roughly.

"Excuse me," Adrien managed to say politely, surprised that he was even able to find the words at all, but the man continued hurrying along down the sidewalk, apparently oblivious to his misstep.

" _She'll be at the reunion tomorrow night,_ " Nino continued. " _You're still going, right?_ "

Truth be told, Adrien had thought about skipping it altogether. But if Marinette was going to be there, then he knew that he had to go. If only to see her once again.

"Yeah, I'll be there," he replied.

" _Awesome! Anyway, I gotta go, but I'll see you tomorrow, man._ "

"See you." The call disconnected with a beep.

His mind went hazy as he began to process the new information; Marinette Dupain-Cheng was back in Paris and she wanted to see _him_.

Did she feel the same way about him as he felt for her?

Adrien put his phone back in his pocket, and was confused to feel something that wasn't there before. Pulling it out and holding it up in the glow of the streetlamp to see better, he nearly dropped it upon recognizing what it was.

Pinched between his fingers, he was shocked to find that he held the long-lost Cat Miraculous, its silver surface gleaming.

"How in the world…"

Adrien glanced around; there wasn't a single soul in sight.

He stared at it dumbly for a minute before shaking his head. How could it have reappeared after all this time? And why now? First the news about Marinette, and now the Cat Miraculous appearing out of thin air…

And if he had his Miraculous again, did that mean that he'd be seeing Ladybug soon? After so much time apart from his first love and former partner, the idea both thrilled and terrified him.

He wondered if he was dreaming. There was only one way to find out.

With shaking hands, he slipped the ring onto his finger; ten years without it and it still fit like a glove. Even having gone so long without wearing it, having the Miraculous on his finger felt familiar. Like it was meant to be there.

Instantaneously, the tiny black cat kwami appeared before him, his little fangs bared as he grinned.

"Hello, Adrien."


	5. Chapter 5

" _Please, take them."_

 _Her voice choked on the words, her throat constricting with grief. Tears threatened to fall from just behind her lashes._

" _Take them!" she urged again with a sob, shoving her hand forward; in her palm sat the ancient red and black lacquered box that Master Fu had given her all those years ago._

" _Marinette... you were chosen for a reason," he said softly._

" _That reason doesn't matter. Hawk Moth is dead, and so there is no need for Ladybug anymore."_

 _Master Fu appeared surprised by the news. "Have you retrieved the Butterfly Miraculous?"_

 _She only shook her head and deposited the small box into his hand before turning to leave._

" _Marinette, if the Butterfly Miraculous is still out there, then there is still work to do–"_

 _He was cut off by the sound of the shoji sliding definitively shut._

 _With a sad sigh, Master Fu's opened the box and his eyes widened upon seeing both the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous nestled together atop the velvet._

–

Marinette's eyes snapped open. Her silk pajamas felt damp, and they clung to her body grossly like a second skin. She was back in her childhood bedroom at her parents' place, everything still exactly as she had left it before leaving for design school in New York City almost a decade ago.

Rolling over, she glanced at the digital alarm clock on her bedside table; it was a little after one o'clock in the morning. She knew that she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep anytime soon, and so she stood up on her bed and pushed open the skylight to her balcony for a bit of fresh air.

Upon climbing up onto the roof and rising to stand, she was shocked to see a familiar black-clad figure perched on the railing, facing away from her. His body had grown as he had matured; he was taller, and more muscular, but still dressed in the same exact same suit and ears as she remembered her former partner wearing. It caused her heart to palpitate and a cold sweat to break out across her back once more.

"C-Cat Noir?" she gasped in shock, nearly tumbling back down into her bedroom.

 _I must still be dreaming._

She pinched herself on the bare skin of her arm to be sure; sure enough, pain blossomed on the spot. She was definitely awake.

Whipping around, Cat Noir gave her a sheepish look before wiggling his fingers at her in greeting.

"Oh. H-hello, Marinette," he greeted; he hoped that she couldn't tell how nervous he was. Although Adrien knew that Marinette was back in Paris, he hadn't expected her to be staying at Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie, but– thinking about it now– it made perfect sense. "You're… here."

"This is my home," Marinette replied incredulously. "Why are _you_ here? I haven't seen you since…"

 _Since before the demise of Hawk Moth._

But after mysteriously acquiring Cat's Miraculous that night, she had returned it to Master Fu along with her own earrings. He must have returned it to him sometime after Marinette had left Paris.

Cat Noir shrugged. "I wanted to see you."

"Me?" Marinette blinked. "Why me?"

Adrien bit the inside of his cheek; he couldn't tell her that he had missed her terribly during the decade that they were apart and so had decided to spend the evening reminiscing about their times together alone on her balcony, at the risk of outing his secret identity. But he also couldn't tell her that he feared that something evil was coming soon, being the cause for his Miraculous to be suddenly and inexplicably returned to his possession, and was the reason why he had taken to the rooftops in the middle of the night in search of any sign of trouble.

Most of all, he _definitely_ couldn't tell her about how damn _good_ it felt to have taken up the mantle of his suave and debonair alter ego after ten long years without its supporting crutch, desperate for the confidence it gave him to be able to face her. His true love.

In truth, he hadn't planned on seeing Marinette again until the reunion; he had just so _happened_ to be catching a break on her balcony when she found him.

"Heard you were back in Paris and I wanted to personally welcome you back," he lied.

"Uh, thanks, I guess."

Marinette bit her lip and sighed; Adrien picked up on her darkened aura.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently. She glanced at him with her incandescent eyes before looking away again.

"It's... nothing."

Adrien straightened from his perch and leapt to stand in front of Marinette, taking her hands in his.

"You can tell me."

Marinette peered up at his masked face from beneath her thick, black lashes; her doe-like gaze caused Adrien's heart to beat faster, and red-hot desire began to coil in his belly like a snake. Even after all of this time, she had such an effect on him. It didn't help that the thin silk of her purple night chemise left little to the imagination. Gooseflesh ran across the tops of her porcelain breasts, visible above the lace that hemmed the neckline of the gown, and her nipples peaked beneath the shiny fabric thanks to the nip of the evening breeze.

"It's just that… I had a nightmare."

Adrien reached up to gently tuck a lock of shoulder-length hair behind Marinette's ear in a comforting gesture and picked up on the way that she shivered beneath his touch. It caused his suit to tighten slightly.

"About what?" he encouraged.

Marinette inhaled a shaky breath. "Sometimes… I have nightmares… about when I was akumatized."

Adrien nodded his head; in recent years he had heard of some cases of lingering post-traumatic stress disorder in akumatization victims.

"And I…" Marinette's eyes glistened. "While I was akumatized, I… _killed_ someone. The father of the boy I loved. I don't remember doing it, but I did."

Adrien was shocked to hear that he blamed herself. Had she felt that way for all of these years? It crushed his heart to think of it.

He shushed her and squeezed her hands tighter. "I was there that night, Marinette. You don't remember because you were akumatized, but Gabriel Agreste's death was not your fault. I need you to believe me."

He meant it; his father's own evil machinations ended up being his downfall. As troubled as his relationship with his father was, it had taken Adrien years to stop blaming himself. He knew now that his father's death was no one's fault but Gabriel's own.

Her body began to shake and Adrien wanted nothing more than to pull her close and hold her tight.

"The only thing is… the boy I loved… I still love him."

Adrien's heart skipped a beat at hearing her confession.

"But he was there, when his father died. Whether or not it was my fault, he needed me and I ran away from him. He called after me, begging me not to leave him, and I didn't listen. How could he ever forgive me? How can I face him again? I'll never forget the look in his eyes."

Marinette stared downward at her bare feet. "He must hate me."

Adrien lifted one of her hands to his face and rubbed the back of her palm against his cheek; her skin was incredibly soft.

"He doesn't hate you," he murmured. "He could never hate you. In fact, I'm sure that he... loves you."

He placed a lingering kiss on the back of Marinette's hand and noticed the adorable way her cheeks flushed when she looked up at him again; he wanted her so badly, but now was neither the time nor place. After a tense moment of silence, Marinette pulled her hands away from him and clasped them together in front of herself, breaking the tender moment.

"Wow, look at me. I'm twenty-seven and crying about having bad dreams like a baby," she laughed awkwardly, wiping away a tear with her finger before Cat Noir could notice. "I'm sorry that I'm telling you all of this."

"Don't be sorry. If it would make you feel better, I could stay and hold you until you fall asleep." Adrien winked.

"No thank you, Kitty Cat," she giggled.

"Is there _anything_ I can do for you?" He leaned forward, bringing his face as close to hers as he dared, close enough to kiss. The scent of her strawberry fragrance wafted to his nose, warming him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. It took all of his self-restraint to not attack her mouth with his own right then and there.

Marinette's breath hitched in her throat. "N-no. I should be getting back to sleep. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow. But, thank you. For listening."

Reluctantly, she took a step back, towards the trap door, and climbed down into it.

"Sleep well, my Lady," Adrien purred, accidentally letting his old pet name for Ladybug slip from between his lips before he could catch himself.

Marinette shot him an odd look before disappearing into her room, latching the door behind herself.

–

After a fitful night's rest, Marinette awoke to the first rays of sunlight streaming in through her bedroom window. Although she hadn't experienced any more nightmares after Cat Noir's visit, she _did_ experience a series of confusing and erotic dreams about both Cat Noir _and_ Adrien, leaving her aching between her legs when she finally rose out of bed to get ready for the day.

She wondered why Cat Noir had made an unexpected reappearance after being unseen and unheard of for the past ten years (and on _her_ balcony, of all places), but she decided to worry about that later. Hawk Moth was dead, and had been dead for quite some time, so Paris wasn't in any real, imminent danger for the time being.

Figuring that a hot shower would do her some good, she started with one; she dried and styled her hair upon leaving the water, wishing that she could soak in its warm, calming steam forever, but she had promised to spend the day with her parents working in the bakery. She dressed casually in a pair of mauve-colored chino trousers paired with a flowy, off-white blouse; her dark hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders, and she dabbed on a bit of lip gloss and mascara to try to make herself look less haggard than she felt after sleeping so poorly.

"There's my baby girl," Sabine Cheng crooned as her adult daughter descended the staircase, greeted by a spread of her favorite breakfast foods; a myriad of croissants, baguettes, and other pastries lined the kitchen counter, alongside a variety of jams and other spreads, as well as fresh fruit, to choose from for toppings.

Marinette allowed her mother to embrace her in a hug.

"It's so good to have you home," Sabine said as she rubbed her back. "It's like you never left!"

Marinette laughed at the concept, but it was true; surprisingly, despite everything that had changed, including herself, being back in Paris and living with her parents made her feel like a teenager all over again.

After a light breakfast where Marinette told her mother all about her move back home to France from Italy and her upcoming work as a fashion correspondent, the two women met Marinette's father, Tom Dupain, down in the bakery, where he was already hard at work on the day's orders.

"Good morning, Marinette!" he shouted joyfully, crossing the bakery to wrap her up in his large arms.

"Hi, Dad," Marinette giggled as she hugged him back. "What do you need help with?"

Her father put her to work on frosting some cupcakes, which she was only more than happy to do; anything to take her mind off of fretting about her high school reunion later that evening, where she would be seeing Adrien again for the first time in a decade, as well as her conflicting thoughts about Cat Noir's extremely random– and extremely personal– late-night visit.

The sound of the bell tinkling above the door some time later distracted Marinette from her work, and she glanced up to see a familiar, blonde-haired woman enter the bakery. She was dressed in expensive-looking designer clothes, and a scowl darkened her expression as she looked around the quaint shop in disdain.

"Chloe Bourgeois?" Marinette said with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Chloe's head snapped towards Marinette's direction at hearing her name being spoken; reaching up, she removed her sunglasses from her face and made a sound of disgust.

"Ugh, it's _you_ ," she huffed, making her way towards the pastry counter. Her heeled shoes probably cost more than the floor tiles she walked upon. "I thought Paris felt a little _poorer_ today."

Before Marinette could respond to such a rude (and not very well-thought out) insult, her father appeared from the back room.

"Ah, Ms. Bourgeois! Right on time." Tom inspected Marinette's work. "It looks like we're just about finished up here."

Marinette stared at her father. "Say what?"

"Chloe ordered dessert for your high school reunion tonight," he answered cheerfully, oblivious to his daughter's distress. "All of these cupcakes are for the event."

The blonde-haired woman pursed her lips as she gave Marinette's icing work a once-over.

"They had better taste better than they look," she warned flatly.

Marinette's nostrils flared; already her first interaction with the insufferable Chloe Bourgeois in ten years and she wanted to hurl her over a bridge and into the Seine. Maybe even with cement blocks for shoes.

"If they look so bad, then why don't you just have the pastry chef at your daddy's hotel make them?" she snapped back.

Chloe smirked. "Because I enjoy being charitable. And your family looks like they could use the money."

Marinette clenched her fist in anger, forgetting that she was still holding the icing bag; it burst in her grip, causing vanilla bean frosting to leak down her wrist and in between her fingers.

A moment later, Sabrina Raincomprix appeared behind Chloe, her signature orange bob pinned away from her face by a barrette.

"There you are, Sabrina!" Chloe chided. "What, did you think I was going to carry all of this myself?"

Sabrina stared at her friend with her mouth agape. "Do you expect _me_ to?"

Chloe's face twisted in annoyance. "Of course you are! Don't ask stupid questions."

Tom made quick work of packing up the cupcakes for transportation, before apologetically depositing the boxes into Sabrina's waiting arms to be carried out to the car.

Chloe waited until both Tom and Sabrina were out of earshot to lean in close to Marinette.

"Will I be seeing you at the reunion tonight?"

Marinette tightened her jaw and nodded her head.

Chloe bared her teeth. "Don't you dare think about trying to talk to Adrien. If I so much as see you even _looking_ at him, you're going to regret the day you were born. Do you understand me?"

Something metallic glimmered from behind the lapel of Chloe's black blazer, but before Marinette could inspect it further Chloe was spinning on her heel and walking out of the shop.

"See you at the reunion!" she called over her shoulder in a mocking tone, slamming the door behind herself.

It took Marinette a minute to recover from her interaction with Chloe, her mind reeling; if what Alya had said was true, then Adrien and Chloe really weren't together, and Chloe was only worried about keeping up appearances. Adrien getting cozy with Marinette at their high school reunion would definitely look bad for the heiress if word got out.

That is, if Adrien even _wanted_ anything to do with her after what had happened between them in the past. Alya had insisted that Adrien would be ecstatic to see her, and Cat Noir had tried to encourage her the night before, but what did they know?

Marinette sighed and buried her face in her hands, realizing too late that she had never washed the frosting from them.


	6. Chapter 6

Marinette's father relieved her from her work at a quarter to five, when he set about cleaning up the shop in preparation for closing. She thanked him with a kiss on his grizzled cheek before heading upstairs to get ready for the reunion. Her mother came to her door once, asking if she was hungry for a light dinner before she left, but Marinette declined; her nerves were frazzled in anticipation of seeing Adrien Agreste. She was sure that anything she tried to eat wouldn't stay down.

After tying up her hair in a topknot atop her head, and donning a classy white sleeveless sheath dress with nude-colored slingback pumps, Marinette gave herself a look-over in the mirror; she looked stylish and seductive, but not _too_ seductive, which is exactly the sort of appeal she was going for. The dress was form-fitting and flattering, perfectly highlighting her ample assets which had come in as she had progressed fully into womanhood; her body had matured in the ten years since her classmates had last seen her, her bosom swelling and hips flaring out from her narrow waist, ending in long, slender, shapely legs. She had filled out where she used to be thin and gangly; with such curves, it was obvious to anyone who looked that she had a woman's body now.

On top of the mascara and lipgloss she was already wearing, Marinette had slicked on dark kohl eyeliner and rubbed some color onto her cheeks as well, giving her a sexy, sultry look without overdoing it. Her lashes were still thick and full as they flanked her bright blue eyes, and her lips had retained their characteristic pout, but her face had lost much of the roundness that had plagued her during her adolescence; her cheekbones and jaw had become much sharper in adulthood.

She hoped that Adrien would find her acceptable.

At five minutes to six, as the sun started to make its way toward the horizon, Nino and Alya arrived to pick her up. She said goodbye to her parents before grabbing her phone and clutch and climbing into the back seat. Nino kicked the car into gear and headed towards the event hall.

–

They arrived to the large, elegant stone facade of the building shortly after the stated start time on the paper invitation cards they had each received in the mail. There was a valet service offered, and so Nino pulled up to the front and handed off his keys to the waiting valet, who couldn't have been much older than sixteen or seventeen, before helping both Alya and Marinette out of the car. With an attractive woman on each arm, Nino couldn't help but grin; his own wife was dressed in a tight black pencil skirt and red satin blouse with matching pumps, accentuating her exotic bronze skin and golden green eyes.

"I'm going to be the envy of every dude here with such lovely ladies accompanying me," he chuckled as they climbed the steps to the front entrance, causing both Marinette and Alya to giggle.

Another person brushed past Marinette hard enough to bump her as he made his way down the stone steps in the opposite direction of the trio, causing her to spin out of Nino's escorting arm to see who had shoved her so rudely.

Her stomach leapt into her throat upon seeing the withered face that stared back at her.

"Marinette?" Alya questioned at seeing her friend standing as still as a statue a couple of steps behind them.

Marinette didn't answer, frozen to the spot and unable to move as she struggled to voice the name of the elderly man who stood before her.

"Master Fu," she said at last, unblinking. "What are you doing here?"

"It's been awhile, Miss Dupain-Cheng. I see that you've blossomed into a beautiful and strong young woman." Master Fu managed a small smile. "I am here because I have a very important matter to discuss with you. If I may have a moment of your time?"

"You know this guy, Marinette?" Nino asked, taking a step towards her. The concern was evident in his tone.

She couldn't tell her friends that she had once lived a double-life as the superhero known as Ladybug and that this unassuming, inauspicious old Chinese man had been involved with that endeavor. "Yes. I, uh– he used to, um, be my karate teacher."

"I never knew that you did karate," Alya said, blinking in surprise. As Marinette's lifelong best friend, she had assumed that she had already known all there was to know about her.

"Please, Marinette," Master Fu urged. "Time is of the essence."

Torn between her desire to brush him off and go into the party as though nothing was amiss and the guilt that simmered in her gut at letting the ancient guardian down after he had chosen her all of those years ago, Marinette turned to her friends.

"You guys go on inside without me. I'll catch up in a minute."

"If you're sure," Nino replied warily.

Marinette nodded. "I am. I'll see you both in a little bit."

With a nod in return, Alya and Nino continued making their way up to the front entrance, arm-in-arm. Marinette waited until they disappeared inside the doors before turning back around to address Master Fu.

"What's going on?" she asked, biting her lip; she knew that he wouldn't have sought her out if it wasn't regarding the Miraculouses. And after Cat Noir's unexplained reappearance on Paris's streets, she could only surmise what sort of evil plans were lurking around the corner, just waiting to be set into motion.

Master Fu inhaled a steadying breath before speaking. "Paris… _needs_ Ladybug."

Marinette jolted. "Excuse me?"

Reaching into his pocket, the elderly man retrieved the same black and red lacquered wood box that Marinette had returned to him a decade earlier; she swallowed down the lump that had formed in her throat at the sight of it. He held it out to her in his wrinkled palm.

"Paris needs Ladybug _and_ Cat Noir," he repeated with the addition of mentioning her former partner. "Now more than ever."

"I'm sorry, but your faith in me is sorely misplaced." Marinette grimaced at her own words. "You've got the wrong girl."

Master Fu shook his head. "You're the only choice, Marinette. You've always been the only choice."

She fidgeted her hands in front of herself; she felt the shame that coursed through her and wanted nothing more than for this conversation to be over. After all, she had given up her spotted mantle long ago, and she wasn't about to take it up again anytime soon.

"Why is this happening _now?_ " She couldn't hold back the whine that tinged her voice. The last thing she needed to worry about on top of her potentially nerve-wracking reunion with Adrien was the safety and well-being of every soul in Paris suddenly thrust upon her shoulders after a decade-long hiatus. "Hawk Moth is dead, and he's been dead for years. It's not like he's a threat anymore."

"Yes, but the Butterfly Miraculous was never recovered." Master Fu's tone was solemn. "And recently… it has resurfaced. I've sensed that someone has been using it."

Marinette was shocked by the news. "I haven't seen or heard anything about anyone being akumatized."

"That's because whoever has it hasn't openly attacked Paris yet. But I'm afraid that it may only be a matter of time. That's why you must accept the Ladybug Miraculous and become Paris's protector once again."

"Why me? I've already failed once before," Marinette explained, exasperated. "What makes you think that I'll do a better job this time around?"

"I've only made the wrong choice once in my time as a Guardian." Master Fu regarded her carefully. "I was never wrong about you. Trust me… as I trust in you. You are the only one who can protect Paris from certain doom."

Marinette shook her head violently, clutching at either side of her hair. "I can't protect Paris. I can't protect _anyone_. Not after…"

 _Not after I killed Adrien's father._

Another car pulled up to the valet stand behind Master Fu, and its occupants exited the vehicle just as the young valet returned to take their keys, signaling the end of Master Fu and Marinette's conversation.

The elderly man held the lacquered box aloft, pushing it closer to her.

"Take it, Marinette. Accept your destiny."

"I…" Her voice trailed off as she felt the pressure of her choice weighing on her heavily, anxiously glancing around as a laughing gaggle of her classmates passed by her on their way up the steps. They appeared oblivious to her predicament.

When she turned back to tell Master Fu that she couldn't accept the Miraculous, she was stunned to find him gone without a trace. She whipped this way and that, wondering where he could have possibly gone, before realizing that he had left the box containing the Ladybug Miraculous on the ground in front of her.

Knowing that she very well couldn't leave it out in the open, but having no intention of actually becoming Ladybug again, Marinette stooped to pick it up and stashed it inside of the clutch she was carrying before hurrying into the event hall to rejoin her friends for the evening. She'd just have to return it to Master Fu later.

There was no way in _hell_ that she'd become Ladybug again. She couldn't.

Marinette shoved the thought of her newly reacquired Miraculous away to the farthest recesses of her brain as she made her way through the double doors and past the coat check counter. Alya had told her that their senior year dance had also taken place at the same venue, and although Marinette had stopped by briefly back then, she had been akumatized at the time and so didn't recognize it upon entering.

Silver and gold streamers criss-crossed the ceiling in an intricate pattern, coming from the corners and sides to meet at the center in a way that almost made the inside of the room feel like a circus tent. Black and gold balloons were stacked in cloud-like clusters in every corner of the event space, and although most of the floor had been taken up by sets of round tables and chairs, a spot had been left purposefully empty in front of the deejay booth for dancing. A handful of people were already moving to the technotronic beat beneath the flashing, multicolored lights, most of whom she recognized as her former classmates.

The scenery caused Marinette to feel like she really was at a high school dance and not a ten-year reunion.

From over near the open bar, Alya called to her friend and waved her over, and Marinette was only too happy to join her, feeling much like a fish out of water standing dumbly at the front of the room. Not that anyone had seemed to notice.

" _There_ you are," Alya greeted, handing Marinette a glass of white wine. She sipped it, suddenly eager for something to parch her dry throat and lips; it was sweet and crisp, with a fruity finish that was slightly bitter but not unpleasant. "You almost missed Mister Damocles breaking a hip out there on the dancefloor."

Marinette snorted into her glass at the image of their former principal, dressed as The Owl, attempting anything even remotely resembling a dance. He wasn't actually in attendance at the reunion, but the humor of Alya's joke wasn't lost on Marinette.

"Is everything alright?" Alya ticked her head towards the doors. "What was that all about out there?"

"It was nothing," Marinette lied. "Master Fu just wanted to know how I've been since I've been back in town and was wondering if I'd be willing to stop by the dojo to– uh– speak to the kids. About the enduring life lessons and discipline that one can learn from the art of karate."

She felt guilty for lying to her best friend, even after all of these years.

Alya arched an eyebrow as though she didn't entirely believe her, but didn't press the matter further.

"Well, it's about time you made your appearance, Cinderella." She took a sip from her own glass of wine. "Someone is waiting for you."

Marinette sputtered. Someone was waiting? For _her?_

 _Who could it be?_

"Wh-who is waiting for me?"

With a single manicured nail, Alya pointed in the direction of the deejay; Marinete followed the gesture with her eyes, scanning the faces she saw to try to figure out who Alya could possibly be talking about.

It didn't take her long.

There, sitting at a table in the center of the room and nursing a flute of champagne, was Adrien Agreste in the flesh.


	7. Chapter 7

Adrien arrived to the reunion a few minutes before the official start time to ensure that he wouldn't run into Chloe Bourgeois. As their self-proclaimed senior class president, she– along with her best-friend-slash-lackey Sabrina Raincomprix– had taken it upon herself to arrange the entire event, from sending out the invitations and picking out the decor, to booking the event space, caterer, and deejay.

And by "taking it upon herself," that really meant that Sabrina had been coerced into doing most– if not all– of the work while Chloe hovered over her shoulder and berated her at every turn. The ex-mayor's daughter was practically a professional micromanager by this point in her life.

Either way, both Chloe and Sabrina would be too busy with last minute preparations to notice the blond man as he slipped inside and stole away to a table near the back, undetected.

As the clock struck six o'clock and a steady stream of people began to enter the event hall, a passing waiter offered Adrien a flute of champagne from a tray he was carrying; he gingerly took it, thanking the man before he flitted away to continue serving other guests.

Nervously, he took a sip, the bubbly liquid doing nothing to help quell the bubbles that he felt in his stomach in anticipation of seeing Marinette again.

Seeing her the previous night had been a fluke, a chance encounter that he had been wholly unprepared for as he took his Miraculous out for a spin; he had scaled Tom and Sabine's bakery in his excitement to get reacquainted with his superhero identity and nothing more, but the sight of her sleep-mussed hair, flushed cheeks, and pouty pink lips still haunted him nearly an entire day later, causing his heart to palpitate and a heat to pool in his groin. Even half-asleep and half-dressed, she was a vision more beautiful than any he could conjure inside of his own mind.

And she had confessed that she was still in love with him, even after so much time apart; he couldn't wait to tell her that he felt the same way.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Nino Lahiffe, dressed sharply in dark-washed jeans and a blue athletic jacket. Adrien himself had opted for a classic three-piece suit, minus the tie, the pale blue of his collared shirt contrasting nicely against the medium gray of his suit coat and slacks.

"My man," Nino greeted in his usual lazy inflection, reaching out to slap hands with his best friend. Adrien requited the gesture and motioned for him to take the seat beside him, which he did, slouching into it with a relaxed sigh.

"Where's the wifey?" Adrien asked, making small talk before taking another sip of his champagne; he had to make a conscious effort to pace himself. The last thing he needed was to be a bumbling, tipsy fool by the time Marinette arrived.

Nino tilted his head in the direction of the bar. "She's gettin' us a round of drinks. Tonight's sort of a special night."

Adrien raised his eyebrows in response. Did Nino know about his plan to confess his love to Marinette?

"Why's that?" he managed to ask, appearing cool and collected.

Nino beamed from ear-to-ear. "Babe and I have decided… to try for a baby."

Adrien blinked. It wasn't the answer he had expected, but it was wonderful news nonetheless.

"That's great, man," Adrien said. He clapped his friend on the back. "That's really great. Good for you guys."

"Thank you, thank you." Nino smiled into his nearly-empty pint glass. "She won't be able to drink while we're trying though, so we plan on getting absolutely _blitzed_ tonight."

"I'll drink to that." Adrien raised his champagne glass in a toast. "Here's to new beginnings."

He meant it for his friends, but secretly he hoped that his toast would hold some truth for himself and Marinette as well.

Nino raised his own drink and repeated the toast, before downing the rest of his beer and releasing the lip of the glass from his mouth with a satisfied smack.

"I need another beer," he pointed out the obvious as he rose to stand. "Want me to get you anything?"

"A scotch on the rocks would be great."

Champagne wasn't going to cut it if he wanted the aid of some liquid courage to spill his feelings to Marinette by the time the night was over.

Adrien watched his friend disappear in the direction of the bar, his gaze traveling there before Nino did, and his heart skipped a beat at what he saw.

Standing there, laughing with Alya Césaire-Lahiffe as she balanced the delicate stem of a wine glass between her pale, slender fingers, was none other than the raven-haired beauty he had been waiting for.

Marinette was blissfully unaware of Adrien's appraisal of her as he admired her from across the room, relishing in the sight of her like a thirsty man eyeing a drink of water for the first time. Her blue-black locks were done up in a chic bun on the top of her head, with a few loose, wispy hairs teasing at her exposed, swan-like neck. The sleeveless white dress she wore hugged her body like it was tailor-made to fit her, the fabric ending just above her knees, perfectly accentuating every curve and swell of her womanly body without being obscene. His hungry gaze continued to scan her body up and down, wanting to see as much of her from his vantage point as possible; her bare arms that flexed as she raised the wine glass to her lips, her toned calves that ended in nude-colored slingback heels, the endearing crease of her eyes whenever she smiled.

She held herself with an elegant sort of grace, paired with a sensual allure that seemed all the more alluring by the fact that she didn't consciously know how _sexy_ she truly was. Her lips parted in another laugh at something that Alya had said, and Adrien wished for nothing more than to be within earshot of such a melodic sound; it had been much too long since he had last heard the music of her laugh.

Marinette's face fell suddenly, her sky blue eyes widening; Adrien noticed the way that Alya pointed in his direction, and before he could look away, Marinette turned and directly locked eyes with him.

–

Marinette had caught Adrien staring. He was even more handsome than she remembered; although she had seen him in fashion ads and photos in the tabloids, the pictures didn't do him justice. In person he was a golden Adonis, his designer suit doing little to hide the muscular, masculine form that it covered. His face had lost most of its boyish charm, his angular jaw and aristocratic nose even more prominent, his once big, childish eyes now a smoky shade of sage as they focused solely on her.

The sight of his rugged, manly attractiveness caused her breath to catch in her throat.

After a moment of awkward contemplation, wondering whether or not she should look away, Adrien looked away first, nonchalantly running his fingers through his fashionably-long blond tresses.

Marinette turned back to face Alya, her mouth moving in shock but unable to make a sound. She settled for downing the rest of her chardonnay in a single gulp instead, choking when it went down the pipe a little tougher than a regular-sized sip.

As Marinette worked through her fit, the bartender set the three shot glasses of ouzo that Alya had ordered minutes earlier down on the bar top in front of them.

Nino arrived just in time to do the shots with them.

"You guys wanna grab some drinks and go sit somewhere?" he suggested.

" _Yes,_ " Marinette managed to gasp through tears as she recovered from her bout of coughing, desperate for anything to get her out of Adrien's sight; she could feel her face burn with embarrassment and hoped that he hadn't noticed her blunder. Beside her, Alya hid her smirk at her clumsy friend's antics behind the palm of her hand.

They each picked a shot glass and raised them in unison, clinking them together before downing them; Marinette was even more careful not to choke on it this time. The anise-flavored drink warmed her belly considerably as soon as it hit.

The women ordered another round of wine while Nino grabbed another beer and a glass of scotch. Marinette had no idea who the whiskey was for, but as they moved between the tables, getting gradually closer to the one that Adrien was sitting at, she got a better idea.

By the time she realized that they actually meant to _sit_ at Adrien's table with him, it was too late for her to back out without being noticed and looking like even more of a fool than she already did; her eyes were still teary from her coughing fit, and she was sure that the warmth that heated her face was a noticeable crimson that had spread all the way down her neck to her exposed décolletage.

Definitely _not_ the way she had envisioned making a first impression on Adrien tonight. She wished for a black hole to open up beneath her feet and swallow her whole.

Nino took his previous seat beside Adrien, and Alya sat next to him; seeing as her only two options were to either sit in the chair beside Alya or circle the table to sit on Adrien's other side, she opted for the former, leaning back to hide herself from view as much as possible.

"Hey, Alya," Adrien greeted, his green eyes flicking from Nino's wife to the dark-haired woman beside her. "Hi, Marinette."

 _Damn, I've been spotted._

Marinette leaned forward, coming back slightly into view. "Oh, h-hey Adrien. Seeing fancy you here. How are you doing here? I mean– what are you?"

Her face blushed an even deeper shade of scarlet; she was tripping over her own tongue. This was already going so horribly, disastrously wrong.

True to his nature, Adrien took her verbal bewilderment in stride and chuckled, the sound laced with good humor.

"I'm great," he responded; in truth, he was only feeling so good now that she was here. The butterflies in his stomach hadn't ceased since she had first arrived.

Conversation naturally started to flow amongst the quartet of old friends, dominated mostly by Adrien, Alya, and Nino; Marinette was content to spectate without contributing, worried that she'd say something stupid or throw up or worse. She reached for her glass of wine to take another nervous sip, only to find that she had already finished it without noticing.

Halfway through the discussion of who they expected to see tonight and who they expected to be absent, Alya and Nino exchanged knowing glances.

"I think we're ready to go dance," Alya announced, scooting her chair back on the floor as she stood. "We'll catch up with you guys in a little bit."

Marinette pleaded with her eyes for her friend not to leave her alone with Adrien, but the hazel-eyed woman only winked at her. Nino followed his wife's lead to the dance floor, leaving Adrien and Marinette at the table with only a couple of empty chairs between them.

"Did you want to go dance, too?" Adrien asked politely.

Marinette swore her heart was beating hard enough to burst right through her rib cage.

"Like… by myself?"

Adrien laughed, genuinely amused by her question.

"No, I meant do you want to go dance with me?" His green eyes sparkled and Marinette was sure that she'd swoon at his feet right then and there if she didn't remember to breathe.

"I don't dance," she half-lied. Although she enjoyed dancing, the trauma surrounding their senior dance and subsequent tragedy was too much for Marinette to bear at such a similar event.

Plus, dancing with _Adrien?_ She'd be a sideshow freak for sure.

"That's alright, we can stay here and talk." Adrien smiled and took a sip of his scotch, the ice cubes tinkling in the glass. The song changed and Marinette became acutely aware of the dampness that had started to accumulate on the palms of her hands and underneath her arms.

He wanted to talk? Talk about what? The less Marinette said, the less of a chance there was of her babbling like an idiot.

"Or we could just sit here in complete silence," she suggested, her voice pitching with nervousness. She glanced around, looking for a waiter; she needed another drink to occupy her mouth before she said something totally ridiculous.

"If that's what you'd like to do." He patted the empty seat next to him. "But I'd really like to catch up, if that's alright with you."

Marinette swallowed thickly and eyed the open seat that he was gesturing for her to take.

"Come on, I won't bite."

Reluctantly, Marinette scooted over until she was sitting beside him. Almost immediately she could feel his heat radiating off of his body, permeating her space. It caused goosebumps to raise on her skin, although she felt quite warm.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" she asked.

"Well, what have you been up to all these years? I've heard that you've been traveling a lot." He shifted in his seat until he was facing her completely. "Unless you want to talk about something else?"

She wanted to talk about his father's unnatural death and her role in it and then beg for his forgiveness, but now seemed like neither the ideal time nor place; however, she knew that she'd have to bring it up eventually.

Perhaps it was better to deal with it sooner rather than later. She'd get it over quickly, like ripping off a bandage. She only hoped that he wasn't still angry with her and would forgive her.

 _I have to do this._

She sighed, her shoulders slumping as her voice took on a somber tone. "Adrien, listen…"

It took Marinette a split-second to notice that his eyes were drawn down her face, watching her lips with intent. Before she could stop him, his eyelids fluttered closed and he leaned in, pressing his mouth to hers in a chaste kiss as his hands reached for hers where they sat white-knuckled in her lap.

Marinette's brain instantly went on autopilot; so many times she had dreamt of this moment, and yet not even her most vivid fantasy could have come close to the real thing. His lips were soft and sweet and fit like a glove against her own, puckering in a way that sent a spark of electric current shooting to the tips of her fingers and toes.

Without thinking, she reciprocated his kiss and brought her arms up to rest on his shoulders, twining them around his neck and sighing into his mouth as he parted his lips to deepen the kiss.

Kissing Adrien Agreste at last was like a divine slice of Heaven.

He pulled away too soon, smiling at her as he watched her face to gauge her reaction.

Marinette exhaled a shaky breath, refusing to open her eyes in case doing so would cause her to wake up from this wonderful dream.

"That was…" Her lidded blue eyes slowly opened at last. She couldn't find the right way to describe how ethereal it was; Adrien's kiss had been beyond words.

"How about that dance now?" Adrien offered quietly, the edge of a tease twanging his husky voice.

"Kiss me like that again and I'll do anything you want," Marinette mumbled in a daze, not realizing how the statement sounded until Adrien gave her a knowing smile. Without another word, he took her by the hand and helped her to feet, leading her to the dance floor as the soothing ballad of a slow song started playing over the speakers.

Unbeknownst to the two lovebirds, a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed vixen had watched the entire scene unfold from the shadows.

And she was _beyond_ pissed off.


	8. Chapter 8

Upon reaching the center of the collection of swaying couples that filled the dance floor, Adrien pulled Marinette close; he guided one of her hands to his shoulder before placing his own on her hip, joining their other hands together, clasping them in the narrow space between their chests. Marinette sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, melting against him, allowing Adrien the perfect opportunity to take in her unique scent; he inhaled deeply and felt the sensation warm him from the inside out. He swore he would never get enough of her fragrance; it was fruity and floral, with an underlying hint of something that was so naturally _her_ that it drove him mad.

Her petite body felt so good in his arms, like she was made to be there; for a moment he could almost pretend that they were still teenagers at their high school dance, slow dancing together, caught up in the exciting and innocent throes of young love. This was the chance they had missed all those years ago.

Speaking of chances, he realized that had interrupted Marinette by stealing his chance to kiss her when she had been trying to say something to him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered against the shell of her ear as they swayed in time to the music; he felt the way she shivered in his hold at having his warm breath ghost across her sensitive lobe and felt his cock twitch involuntarily in response. "What was it that you were trying to say before I kissed you?"

Marinette lifted her head to respond, but her gaze shifted to something just over Adrien's shoulder; he could hear the angry click of high heels approaching and knew who they belonged to even before she tapped him roughly on the shoulder.

Spinning around, Adrien wasn't surprised to see Chloe Bourgeois glaring at him. She was dressed in a strapless, gold-sequin designer gown with a long slit up the side, revealing a single slender leg and bright red platform heeled shoe, and her long, wheat-colored locks fell loose and straight around her face and shoulders. Despite the fact that her hair, makeup, and outfit must have cost thousands, the scowl on her face and tension in her balled fists made her appear more ready for a fight than a black-tie event.

"May I cut in?" she asked Adrien impatiently, tapping her heel on the floor. Although it was a question, her tone made it obvious that there wasn't room for discussion and there was only one correct answer. Some of the other couples dancing nearby noticed the heightened tension in the air and moved away to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Marinette felt a rage swell up inside of her at Chloe's intrusion, but she knew that she had to back down; Adrien would do whatever he could to placate her, just like he always did. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a scene in front of him. Plus, it would only make his life harder if she got in between him and Chloe.

She couldn't deny that the thought disappointed her. They may have changed and matured in the ten years that had passed, but Chloe was still the same bitch as always, and she somehow still had Adrien wrapped around her bitchy little finger.

"That's fine," Marinette said curtly. "I have to use the ladies' room, anyway."

She spun on her heel to leave before Chloe could make a snarky comment at her expense; she was caught off guard, however, when a hand grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her back to stand beside Adrien. Looking down, she realized that it was Adrien's fingers curled around her wrist. His expression was resolute– angry, even– as he focused his fiery gaze on the ex-mayor's daughter.

"No, you may _not_ cut in," Adrien stated. "Not tonight. Not ever again."

Chloe was taken aback by Adrien's sudden boldness; it was apparent that his answer was not even close to what she had been expecting.

" _Excuse_ me?" she snarled, sizing him up.

"You heard me."

Chloe leaned in closer to Adrien; on instinct, he gently nudged Marinette to stand behind him, still maintaining a protective grip on her wrist.

"Don't forget about what I know, Adrien. I won't hesitate to not only tell everyone here, but the press as well. I'm sure that Nadja Chamack would shell out the big bucks for an exclusive interview with me," Chloe threatened in a low voice akin to a growl, jabbing her acrylic-tipped finger into the breast of Adrien's suit. He backed down slightly at her threat; it seemed that she had the upper hand, but Marinette couldn't guess what the secret was that gave her such power over him.

Marinette managed to slip her hand into his and squeezed in what she hoped he interpreted as a reassuring gesture. "Adrien?"

Adrien kept his gaze focused on Chloe. "Go ahead. You can't control me anymore."

Chloe's vision flashed red and her eyes narrowed to darkened slits. "Are you sure you want to destroy your father's legacy in one fell swoop just like _that?_ "

She snapped her fingers for emphasis.

"And for a little rat like _her,_ nonetheless," she snarked for added impact, tipping her chin towards Marinette.

"Adrien, what is she talking about?" Marinette whispered fearfully, causing Chloe to turn her attention to her rival.

"I know that you already know that Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth all along," she seethed. "But aside from you, Adrien, and myself knowing, it's a bit of a secret. I promised to keep that secret when we were together, Adri-kins, but what's stopping me from spilling the beans now that there's nothing in it for me?"

Adrien sighed, obviously tired of the conversation. "I don't care, Chloe. You can tell whoever you want. You and I are done for good, and nothing you try to say or do will ever change my mind."

"You've made a _huge_ mistake. We're meant to be together, Adrien Agreste. You'll see," she hissed, glaring at Marinette once more before stomping away from them without another look back.

Marinette's heart fluttered with hope; not only had Adrien kissed her, but he had turned down Chloe Bourgeois _for_ _her_. Perhaps he didn't hate her after all.

"How does she know?" Marinette asked quietly once the witchy woman was out of sight.

Adrien inhaled a sharp breath. "That night… after you ran off, Chloe showed up. She asked what happened, and in my emotional state I accidentally let it slip that my father was Hawk Moth all along."

Remorse settled over Marinette's features like a dark curtain.

"She promised that she wouldn't tell a single soul," he continued. "It wasn't long after that we started college together and began officially dating as a couple. But it didn't last long. I broke up with her about a year later. We were on and off for another year until I called it quits for good."

Adrien sighed and ran a hand roughshod through his hair.

"She's used the information about my father against me to get whatever she wants ever since. I regret ever being in a relationship with someone like her. I guess a part of me just always assumed that she and I would end up together, and after you left for design school in New York…"

His voice trailed off, and he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We haven't been involved romantically since, as much as she tries to deny it."

Marinette felt a pang of regret stab through her heart; if she hadn't run away from him when he needed her, Chloe never would have had such powerful information to hold over his head for so long.

Not only that, but would _she_ have been the one to date him instead of Adrien being with Chloe? Another wave of regret washed over her at considering all the time that they had lost.

"If you don't apologize to Chloe, then she's going to tell everyone that your father was a villain," Marinette mumbled sadly.

"I don't care anymore." Adrien forced a smile to reassure her. "What he did and what happens to his legacy is his own fault and no one else's. Besides–"

He took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips to place a lingering kiss atop her knuckles.

"I can't risk losing you again. I _won't_ lose you again."

Marinette's heart thumped at his words, but still the strings of guilt pulled at her conscience. "Adrien, what happened that night is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. I–"

She was cut off by a sudden roar as it rose up from the foundation; it took Marinette a second to realize that it was the sound of the building shaking, the floor trembling beneath her feet. She stumbled forward and grabbed onto Adrien's forearms to hold herself steady. Around them, their classmates murmured and gasped at the mysterious rumbling.

"An earthquake?" Marinette questioned, looking up at Adrien in fear. He pulled her closer against him.

The doors to the venue suddenly flew open as though by a particularly strong gust of wind; a tall woman, clad from top to bottom in skin-tight red latex, entered, the carefully plotted steps of her platform shoes echoing throughout the deathly silent room. Her skin was tainted a sickly shade of green, and atop her head was a pointed hat in the same bloody shade as the rest of her attire, looking akin to one that would belong to a fairytale witch.

Adrien recognized the newcomer immediately for what she was: a villain.

"Well, well, well," she purred; in her left hand, she held a tall, wooden staff with an ominous black orb secured to the top. The orb seemed to glow from within with a purple haze. "What have we here? A celebration?"

Marinette watched in awe as the red-clad woman moved forward; the crowd near the front of the hall parted seamlessly for her to pass. Her first thought was that she must be one of Hawk Moth's akumatized villains. Not only that, but she sounded suspiciously like Chloe Bourgeois.

 _That's silly. Hawk Moth's been dead for years._

Although, Master Fu _had_ warned her that the Butterfly Miraculous had never been recovered; if it had fallen into the wrong hands, then Paris was in danger once again.

"I see that many of you came here tonight with a _date_." Her venomous red eyes flickered dangerously. "But, I wonder, just exactly how many of you are _truly_ meant to be together."

She raised her staff. "Don't fret, my dears, for Witchkraft has just the spell to quell your curiosities once and for all."

A bolt of tangible energy shot forth from the orb like lightning, striking Ivan Bruel's fiancée, Mylène, where she stood next to the bar. She only had time to gasp before her pupils dilated and her jaw went slack, signifying that Witchkraft's spell had landed its target successfully. Around her, people scattered in chaotic patterns, none of them eager to become Witchkraft's next victim.

"Run!" Adrien instructed to Marinette, shoving her towards a side door before heading in the opposite direction.

"Wait, Adrien, where are you going?" she cried out, but the sound of her voice was drowned out by the sound of dozens of frightened screams and stampeding footsteps as the room erupted into panic. She tried to stand on the tips of her toes to look for his golden blond hair, but he was nowhere to be found.

Seeing no other choice, Marinette quickly snatched her clutch from their table and made a beeline for the hidden exit, running through it and slamming the door closed behind her before Witchkraft could notice that she was missing.

She found herself in an unfinished back hallway of sorts; it seemed to not be used very often, and so it had been converted into a storage space, with utility shelves filled with cleaning supplies and extra extension cords haphazardly lining the walls.

As she peered towards the end of the dimly lit hall, she could see what was clearly marked to be an exterior-leading door.

Marinette could hear the shrieks and cries coming from the venue as she hurried towards the exit, more worried about saving her own skin, but then the horrified orchestra of sounds began to turn into something else; something that sounded like… moaning?

In her distracted state, Marinette tripped over her own heels and fell face first to the ground, her clutch spiraling out of her hands. It popped open and slid a few feet away, its contents spilling as it went. The red and black Miraculous box tumbled free as well, coming to rest just a couple of feet from Marinette's outstretched hand.

It was a sign. She knew what she had to do, as much as she loathed to do it.

After a minute of contemplation, during which Master Fu's words echoed throughout her mind, encouraging her decision, Marinette scrambled unsteadily to her feet and picked up the box from its spot on the ground, holding her breath as she opened the clamshell to see the Ladybug Miraculous inside; the twin earrings shone in the low light coming from overhead, looking as pristine as she remembered from when she had last seen them.

With shaky fingers, she replaced her fashion earrings with the dark jewels, waiting for the moment that her kwami would appear.

She waited. And waited. But nothing happened. On the other side of the door she had just come through, graphic sounds like those straight out of a pornographic film reached Marinette's ears, causing her to wonder what the hell was going on in there.

Just when she thought that Tikki would never appear, the tiny kwami manifested before her eyes, gasping happily.

"Marinette, is it really you?" she squeaked. The pint-sized creature flitted in front of Marinette's nose, inspecting her closer.

"It _is_ you!" she cried, doing a loop in the air.

"H-hi, Tikki," Marinette stammered; although the ex-superhero had left her on bad terms, Tikki seemed elated to see her again. In truth, Marinette was just as happy to see her friend, and it caused a joyful tear to spring to her eye.

Tikki noticed. "Marinette, what's wrong? What going on?"

Marinette shook her head. "We can talk about that later. Right now, there's a villain hellbent on terrorizing Paris, and we need to stop her."

The tiny kwami nodded her acquiescence, her small mouth set in a determined line.

"Tikki… spots _on!_ " Marinette shouted, immediately enveloped in a familiar flash of light and warmth as she transformed, her body tingling with magic as her nondescript attire was replaced by the skin-tight material of her Ladybug suit.

She took a moment to adjust to the feeling of assuming her superhero identity once again after so much time as a regular civilian. She gave her magical yo-yo an experimental toss into the air; it came back down to crack her on the skull.

"Ow," she groaned, rubbing her forehead.

To say that Marinette's crime-fighting skills had become rusty from years of desk jobs was an understatement.

Wasting no further time, Marinette booked it back into the event hall to face off against Witchkraft, and was stopped dead in her tracks by the sight that greeted her.

"Oh… my…"

All of her classmates– or, rather, the ones that hadn't managed to flee– were in various states of undress and writhing on the floor. Body parts bumped and ground against one another in a heated frenzy, the pleasurable heaves and sighs of dozens of voices filling Marinette's ears. Mylène was still near the bar, only now she was on her back on the floor; Ivan was on top of her with his pants down, plundering her body with his own. Near the deejay booth, she could just make out Alya's form as Nino bent her over the stage, hiking her skirt up until it bunched around her hips. Even Sabrina seemed to have been affected by Witchkraft's spell; although she had come with a date, he was nowhere to be found as she stood in the center of the dance floor looking lost. As she felt up her own chest and reached a hand beneath the hem of her dress, she asked no one in particular if they had seen Chloe anywhere.

Even amongst the chaos, Marinette could tell that Chloe– Witchkraft– was already long gone.

Shielding her eyes with a hand to avoid any further visual assault, she ran towards the doors and out into the Parisian night, trying to focus solely on her mission to stop Witchkraft and return her classmates back to normal.


	9. Chapter 9

The evening air was fresh and cool on Marinette's face as she sprung from rooftop to rooftop looking for Witchkraft, a welcome change from the heavy, humid stuffiness that had filled the event hall.

The smell of sex still filled her nostrils and she felt a subtle blush grace her cheeks at remembering seeing her classmates in such a state of indecency. It's not that she was an inexperienced virgin or unfamiliar with the act of sex– Luka Couffaine had seen to that when they had reunited at Alya and Nino's wedding in Lyon three years ago– but she was _definitely_ long overdue for some sexual satisfaction herself. Despite the awkwardness of it all, seeing and hearing everyone around her in the throes of pleasure had caused a fire to ignite in her own belly. She was extra sensitive to such stimuli after being celibate for so long, and her body had simply reacted accordingly. It was natural. Nothing to be ashamed about.

Or at least, that's what she tried to tell herself.

The appearance of a flash of red on the lawn below snapped Marinette from her daydreaming. Turning quickly, she leapt down to cut off the villain as she made her way towards the street, landing in front of Witchkraft as gracefully as a cat.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, assuming a fighting stance.

Witchkraft grinned a wicked grin, revealing her sharp teeth. "Me? Oh, no. I was just waiting for you and Cat Noir to show up. Actually, you're right on time; he should be arriving any second now…"

Not willing to bank on her partner showing up to help her, Ladybug swung her yo-yo at Witchkraft in an attempt to catch her by surprise. The green-skinned witch deflected it as easily as one swats at a fly.

" _Tsk_ , _tsk_ , Ladybug," she chided, raising her staff. "I wasn't planning on using my magic on you, but it seems that you want to be my next guinea pig after all."

Before Marinette could leap out of the way, Witchkraft's spell struck her directly in the center of her chest, causing the superhero to cry out and fall back onto her rear on the grass from the force of it.

At first, she felt fine; nothing seemed amiss except for the erratic beating of her heart inside of her chest. Gradually, however, something began to change inside of her; it started with a small pulsing in her womb, her fingers twitching as desire began to course through her veins, and then graduated to shaky legs and abdominal contractions as her body sought the release it craved, her mind becoming hazy and her judgement clouded by unbridled lust.

 _What has she done to me?_

As if sensing her fears, Witchkraft answered her unspoken question.

"Don't worry, Ladybug," she crooned. "My spell only affects soulmates. So, if you're _lucky_..."

 _Adrien. I need Adrien._ Her body grew hot as thoughts of the man she loved wheeled around her mind's eye; a thin layer of perspiration broke out over her skin and she felt the moisture that had already started to dampen her inner thighs.

She needed to have sex with Adrien, and she needed it _now_.

But Marinette had no idea where he was; she was bound to end up like Sabrina, crazy with lust and desperate for something to ease the ache at the apex of her legs, even if that something was her own hand.

"You won't… get away with this," Ladybug bit out, fighting the urge to cup her own breasts by keeping her fists balled tightly at her sides.

"You can thank me later." With a final smirk and a wave over her shoulder, Witchkraft leapt into the night. Marinette tried to follow after her, but as soon as she took a step forward a jolt of burning desire arrow straight to her pussy, causing her to moan involuntarily. There was no way she'd be able to save anyone in such a state of animalistic need.

"Ladybug?"

Marinette whipped around to see Cat Noir crouching behind her at the edge of the lawn, his sultry green eyes half-lidded and glazed; as soon as she set her sights on him, it was like nothing else existed in the world except for him.

Time seemed to slow down as all rational thinking seeped out of her brain, her lucidity leaking like a faucet. Even Adrien Agreste was forgotten, all thoughts of him cast aside until only one thought remained: she needed to mate with Cat Noir, to become one with him, here and now out on the grass.

She took in his muscular form with a sweep of her eyes, the way his arms and legs and back rippled as he rose to stand, and licked her lips salaciously. She wanted to taste him, a thought that had never occurred to her prior to this moment.

Cat seemed to respond similarly, his eyes never leaving hers as he raced forward, towards her, meeting her in the center of the lawn; their bodies collided instantaneously in a tangle of limbs as they both grabbed onto each other, wrapping themselves up in one another as though their lives depended on it.

Marinette grabbed at either side of Cat's face, trying to hold herself back and hang on to the fleeting thought that something wasn't right, that she shouldn't want Cat Noir this way, that they had a job to do and that job didn't involve ripping their clothes off and fucking each other senseless, but the thought was gone just as quickly as it had come once Cat had smashed his lips to hers in a hungry kiss. The last of her willpower melted away, leaving her consumed by an all-encompassing need for Cat Noir to touch her everywhere.

"Please don't stop me, Ladybug," he pleaded against her lips; the need in his voice almost caused Marinette to moan out loud. "You don't know how long I've wanted you like this."

Even if she wanted to, Marinette was powerless to stop him; Witchkraft's spell over her was too strong.

"Don't stop, Cat," Marinette panted, her own voice thick with desire. "Please, don't stop."

With a single claw, Cat Noir trailed a line down the front of Ladybug's suit, slicing it cleanly in half. It parted to reveal her pert breasts and taut stomach to him, and she wasted no time in shuffling out of it completely. She stood exposed in front of Cat Noir, as naked as the day she was born except for her mask, revelling in the way his eyes darkened upon seeing her nudity.

"You're so beautiful, my Lady," he breathed, drinking in the sight of her. With one step forward their mouths were colliding again, tongues twirling and sliding over one another as Marinette raked her fingers through Cat's golden tresses. She was desperate for anything to hold on to, to keep herself from floating away; his kisses were intoxicating, fueling the fire that burned within her with every flick and swirl of his tongue inside of the moist cavern of her mouth. In turn, Cat Noir reached up to palm her breasts; first one, and then the other, massaging them and pinching each sensitive, rosy bud until they hardened beneath his fingertips. The sensation drove Marinette insane.

"Cat," she whined. She didn't have to say anything further; he knew what she needed. Carefully, he laid her down on her back in the grass, pecking her once on the lips before leaving a fiery trail of kisses down her body, pausing briefly to suckle on each of her stiff nipples, stopping only once he'd reached the spot between her thighs. His hot breath ghosted over her sex and Marinette shuddered.

"Spread your legs for me, my Lady," he commanded gently. She did as she was bid without hesitation, craving more of his mouth on her.

He dove in without restraint, lapping at her like a cat lapping at a bowl of milk, causing Marinette to cry out and fist her hand in his hair, anchoring herself. She tasted like the most succulent custard, sweet and creamy and musky, and he found that he couldn't get enough. He rubbed his face back and forth across her sex as he ate, coating his mouth and chin and cheeks in her delicious essence. He dipped his tongue around her velvet folds and inside of her opening and Marinette keened, bucking her hips up against his inciting mouth. The firm, flexible muscle prodded at her bundle of nerves and lathed her slit in frenzied strokes, bringing Marinette close to the edge, close enough to burst. Had anything ever felt so good before?

But still, she needed _more_. The urge to couple with Cat Noir was too great to think about anything else, including the repercussions of such an act; her lust for him engulfed her senses until her skin was hot all over and she was burning to have him inside of her.

"Please," she whimpered, tugging on Cat Noir's hair; he released her nether lips from his mouth and brought his face up to hers, kissing her passionately, allowing Marinette to taste herself.

She broke the kiss with a gasp; she swore she would die soon if he didn't get inside of her right that moment. The spell was so powerful that it was nearly painful.

" _Please_ , Cat, I need you to fuck me."

Had such crass words ever left her lips prior to this moment? Marinette didn't rightly care, as her focus was drawn to watching Cat Noir fumble with his suit in a frantic bid to be rid of it as quickly as possible. After a few seconds of struggling he gave up, tearing hole for himself in the front to pull his cock out through, his erection finally springing free.

It was magnificent.

Marinette hadn't seen many such specimens of the male anatomy, but Cat's was glorious, tall and thick with two dark, bulging veins swirling around the shaft. The head was red and angry, and it glistened, shiny with precum.

She didn't have much time to appreciate his cock as it was suddenly and roughly plunged into her heat, causing Marinette to cry out in harmony with Cat Noir's own groan of pleasure. He filled her so fully, so completely, that Marinette's womb jolted, her muscles sucking him in of their own accord.

Cat rutted against her maniacally, like a– well, like a cat in heat. But Marinette didn't mind, her mind hazy with lust as he pounded into her, over and over again, pumping in and out of her tight, weeping sex with increasing urgency. His hardness expertly stroked her inner walls with brutalizing force, jarring her with every thrust, her hickey-marred breasts bouncing in time with each slap of wet flesh. In fact, despite the fact that he was fucking her hard enough to bruise her, she found that she still needed _more_.

Marinette brought her legs up and Cat expertly hooked them over either of his shoulders, allowing him a deeper angle of penetration that caused Ladybug's moans to turn to screams.

"Right there, Cat," she panted breathlessly in his ear, nipping at his neck in a desperate bid to muffle her cries of pleasure. "Right _there–_ "

Faster than she could register what was happening, stars exploded behind Marinette's eyes as she reached her peak, shrieking in pure ecstasy as convulsions racked her body. She felt the juices that trailed down from her opening, soaking her bum, and wanted nothing more than for Cat Noir to add his own seed to the mix.

It seemed that he didn't need convincing, as he finished inside of her a with a final, earth-shattering thrust, grunting as he did so. She could feel the muscles of his member undulate within her, spilling himself deep within her womb as her own walls clamped down around him, milking every last drop from him.

Then, as quickly as it had started, it was over.

Marinette blinked a couple of times as the haze of desire was lifted from her like a heavy curtain, dissipating instantaneously. Her mind suddenly lucid, she looked up to see that Cat Noir was no longer affected as well; he hovered above her, breathing heavily and staring down at her with his mouth agape, struggling to find the words to express what was happening. What _had_ happened.

No matter how hard she tried, Marinette couldn't remember what had caused them to find themselves in such a shocking, compromising position.

"Cat?" she squeaked, becoming aware of his wilting erection still buried within her most intimate of places; she felt the blood rush to her face at the same time that the blood seemed to leave his.

"My Lady, I…" his voice trailed off, ultimately at a loss for words at their predicament.

With an apologetic frown, Cat pulled himself from her in one stroke, causing Marinette to gasp at the sensation; she already felt incredibly sore from... _whatever_ they had done. Her body felt deliciously used, and when she gingerly reached a hand between her legs, she found that her damp, engorged sex was incredibly tender. She was sure that she'd be sore tomorrow.

Either way, she didn't need to remember that they had fucked to know that it had happened. That much was clear.

Cat Noir hurriedly climbed off of her and stuffed his member back into his suit, scowling at the hole he had torn in the front of it in his moment of passion. Marinette looked to the side at her own tattered and torn suit and grimaced, wondering what she would do for modesty. She settled on covering herself by draping an arm across her chest and crossing her legs for the time being.

Cat lifted Ladybug's suit from its heap on the ground, handing it to her without looking. Marinette took it gratefully and covered herself as best as she could with the material.

"W-were we akumatized?" she asked meekly. One time was more than enough for a lifetime.

Cat Noir shook his head, gentlemanly looking away from his partner in her state of indecency. "I don't think so. We still have our Miraculouses, so we can't be akumatized, I think."

His face paled even further. "Plus, I remember… _some_ of it."

Marinette swallowed; she could remember bits and pieces, like clawed hands on her body and tongues dueling, but the memories were fuzzy. "M-me too."

The answer hit her like a freight train.

"Witchkraft's spell," she murmured. "It must have been a… love spell."

"A love spell?" Cat blinked.

Marinette shook her head. "Or, a _lust_ spell, I guess."

That had to be it; Marinette had never been attracted to Cat Noir– at least, not enough to totally lose her self-control and give in to her baser urges around him– and so it had to have happened solely because of Witchkraft's magical influence.

But hadn't she said something about her magic only affecting soulmates?

"Where is she now?" Cat asked, anger darkening his features as he brought up a clawed fist, ready to fight.

He didn't have to wonder very long as Chloe suddenly appeared from the bushes, as if on cue, looking as scraggly and disheveled as Marinette felt, though for very different reasons.

"Chloe," Cat said with surprise. "You've been… de-akumatized."

It was true; Chloe's skin was back to its usual peachy hue and her outfit had returned to a sparkling golden gown, and aside from a few smudges of dirt and mussed strands of blonde hair, she appeared to be her normal self.

"Oh, Cat Noir, Ladybug," she sighed fretfully, playing the part of akumatization victim exceptionally well. "You saved me!"

Marinette didn't buy her act for a second; the pieces of the situation didn't seem to fit together.

She arched her eyebrow at the blonde woman. "Wait a minute, we _didn't_ save you. We never released your akuma."

Cat Noir seemed to reach the same conclusion at the same time. "So, if we didn't release your akuma, then how did you get back to normal?"

Chloe's lower lip trembled. "I'm not sure. I don't remember anything."

That much was true; Hawk Moth's victims never remembered their actions while akumatized.

Although Marinette still felt uneasy about the situation with Chloe, she decided to drop it; she figured that she was more than likely projecting her own mixed emotions onto the witchy woman, anyway.

She rose to stand on weak legs, her knees nearly buckling beneath her weight; Cat must have given her an exceptional pounding to have done such damage. "Well, seeing as there's no akuma to de-evilize, I'm going to go."

Cat nodded awkwardly. "Erm, yeah, that's fine– I'll stay and make sure that Ms. Bourgeois gets home alright."

Truthfully, he wanted to run back to the event hall to ensure that Marinette had gotten away safely, but a part of him was afraid; what if she had been affected by Witchkraft's spell as well, and had ended up having passionate, mind-blowing intercourse with someone who wasn't him? Someone who was _actually_ her soulmate? He couldn't bear the thought of it.

He decided at last that he couldn't allow her to see him in such a state, anyway. He badly needed a shower and another drink.

"Call me if anything comes up." With that, Marinette hurriedly took to the rooftops, finding the fastest route home to avoid being seen with nothing but her tattered red-and-black suit covering her private parts, wincing in pain as every jump and lunge rubbed her abused sex raw.


	10. Chapter 10

Marinette wanted nothing more than to jump into the shower as soon as she got home, not even bothering to pick the pieces of grass and dirt out of her sex-tousled hair first. Luckily it was late and her parents were asleep, so she was able to sneak in quietly through the skylight on the roof without the risk of waking them.

Upon entering her room, she transformed back to her civilian self, the tattered Ladybug suit disappearing from around her torso as her white dress took its place. She immediately stripped it off and tossed it to the floor in a crumpled heap of fabric, eager to make it to the bathroom before Tikki showed up; the last thing she wanted to do was relive the night by talking it out with the sweet little creature.

She stood under the shower's spray for far too long, letting the healing water wash over her bruised and battered body as she tried her damnedest to simultaneously remember and forget her indiscretion with Cat Noir. Even if her mind couldn't remember, her body did, her porcelain skin marked by various love bites and the spot between her thighs throbbing with a dull ache. When she soaped up a washcloth and ran it over herself to try to get clean, she hissed when a searing pain burned along her inner thigh; she glanced down to see light claw marks from where Cat must have grabbed her, accidentally scratching her smooth skin as he spread her legs before feasting between her feminine folds.

The thought caused her heart to bang against her ribcage, and a fresh pool of desire started low in her abdomen.

Sighing, she leaned forward until her forehead was pressed against the tile of the shower wall, which was cool despite the steamy warmth of the shower. It was a nice contrast on her hot skin.

Since she had been so drawn to Cat Noir, like a moth to a flame, losing himself in him as he lost himself in her, then did that really prove that they were soulmates?

And if that was the case, then what did that mean for her and Adrien? It seemed so unfair to her that, as soon as the stars had aligned and the universe had reunited Adrien and Marinette after years of loneliness and yearning on both sides, the Fates had stripped them of their newfound chance at happiness. It seemed that they were destined to remain apart, always pining from afar but never consummating their mutual love in a joyous and perfect partnership, one so strong and passionate that it would extend beyond the ends of eternity.

Marinette roughly turned the knob to turn off the water. Why was she thinking in such a way? She was acting like the same timid, lovesick teenager she had once been, but that wasn't who she was anymore; she was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a strong, beautiful, and intelligent young woman who not only excelled in her career, but also in her personal and romantic relationships.

 _Okay, maybe that last part was a lie,_ she thought. _But it's never too late to start, right?_

Witchkraft's spell meant nothing, and her intimacy with Cat Noir had been a fluke. Nothing, and no one– _especially_ not the insufferably flirtatious Cat Noir– was going to get in the way of her and Adrien's chance at love this time around; she swore it.

–

"Will you just _call_ her already?"

Plagg scarfed down the last bite of Camembert cheese before reclining on his back where he sat on Adrien's coffee table, patting his distended belly with a contented sigh.

Adrien shook his head. "It's not that easy."

The black cat kwami groaned. "Yeah, yeah, it's complicated because you had sex with Ladybug while under the influence of Witchkraft's spell. You've only been moping about it for the past _three days_."

"You don't understand–" he started to explain, but was cut off by Plagg hopping up onto his knee, pointing up at him with a microscopic claw.

"Oh, I understand _perfectly_." He smirked, baring his fangs. "You think that, for _whatever_ reason, having sex with Ladybug makes you damaged goods, and because of that you're no longer worthy of Marinette's love."

"Witchkraft's spell only affected _soulmates_ ," Adrien sighed, exasperated. "So, if I was drawn to Ladybug and she was drawn to me, then what does that mean for me and Marinette?"

He sighed again, shoulders slouching as he slumped further into the sofa. "What if Marinette had sex with someone else that night? That would absolutely prove that I'm not the one for her. I don't know what I would do if I found out; I don't think I could handle it."

"Then don't ask."

Adrien let his eyes fall to the floor.

"Well, you _did_ have a thing for Ladybug before, back in the day," Plagg said thoughtfully. "Is it such a terrible thing if you're meant to be together?"

It was true; his Lady had been the first girl to ever quicken his heartbeat and take his breath away, even though his feelings hadn't been returned. But as the years went on and he became closer to Marinette, Adrien had found himself falling harder for his raven-haired classmate who had always admired him from afar. Sure, he still had a spot in his heart for Ladybug, since she was his first (unrequited) love, but over time his love for Marinette had only grown, consuming him and his heart until he longed for her and her alone.

He couldn't let her get away now.

Feeling emboldened by a new surge of confidence, Adrien grabbed his cell phone from its spot on the table and dialed Marinette's number, ignoring the congratulatory fist pumps that Plagg offered in his direction.

After a few rings, she picked up.

" _Hello?_ "

Even on the phone, her angelic voice was an ethereal melody, like music to his ears. He almost forgot to answer back, his nerves suddenly returning, when Plagg nudged him on the elbow to bring him back to reality.

"Oh, hey Marinette," he greeted. "It's Adrien. How are you?"

" _I'm well._ " There was a shuffle on the other end that sounded like Marinette shifting in her chair. " _How about yourself? How have you been since…_ "

Her voice trailed off, but he knew that she was talking about the reunion. Thanks to the chaos caused by Witchkraft, they hadn't had the chance to finish their dance, nor had they seen or spoken to one another since.

"I'm great, never been better," Adrien lied through his teeth. He glanced down at Plagg for some sort of encouragement; the kwami gave him a double thumbs up for support.

"So, the reason I'm calling you is that– well, we never got to finish catching up the other night."

A squeak that sounded distinctly like it came from Marinette came through the line.

"And I was wondering… if I could take you out to dinner tomorrow night?"

There was a brief pause, as though Marinette was choosing her words.

" _Adrien, I would_ love _to,_ " she said at last, her tone barely containing her excitement.

Adrien's heart swelled with equal excitement at her acceptance of his proposal.

"Great. I'll pick you up around eight o'clock?"

" _Y-yeah, sounds good. I'll see you then._ "

"It's a date," he replied through a smile. They exchanged goodbyes and then the call was disconnected.

Adrien stared at the phone in his hand with a dumbstruck grin plastered across his face; after years of waiting, he was finally going on a _date_ with Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

–

Tikki watched, amused from her spot on the bed, as Marinette bolted back and forth across her room.

"My Lucky Charm. My Lucky Charm!" she chanted fretfully under her breath, as though by doing so she could cause it to appear out of thin air. " _Where is my Lucky Charm?_ "

Tikki giggled. "Marinette, you can only use your Lucky Charm when you're in the form of Ladybug."

Marinette pulled at her face with her hands in frustration. "Not _that_ Lucky Charm, Tikki. I'm looking for the one that Adrien made me."

"You still have it after all of these years?" Tikki's beady eyes shimmered. "That's so romantic!"

A subtle blush formed over Marinette's cheeks. She supposed that the little kwami was right; it _was_ pretty romantic.

"I wonder if Adrien still has the one I gave to him," she murmured, running her fingers over the coverlet on her bed; she felt something hard beneath the fabric and pulled it aside to reveal the object she had been looking for all along.

"Oh!" She lifted it up and smiled, her worry dissipating as it was replaced with relief at finding her missing totem. "I must have left it on my bed after sleeping with it last night."

She moved over to her purse and carefully stashed the Lucky Charm away in an inside pocket, its yellow and blue beads clacking together softly when they swayed from her movement.

"Speaking of sleeping with things…" Tikki started, trying her best to broach the awkward subject of Ladybug's "evening" with Cat Noir with her friend.

Marinette sighed. "I know what you're going to say, Tikki, and I _promise_ you that I'm alright. What happened between me and Cat was an accident, and it only happened because we were under a spell. It won't affect my and Adrien's relationship."

"Don't you think that maybe you should talk to Cat about it first, just to clear the air? I don't want you to get hurt, Marinette," she replied.

"Thank you for worrying about me, but I'll be fine." Marinette finished putting the last touches of gloss onto her lips before turning to face the kwami, arms spread wide. "Now, how do I look?"

She had dressed in a sleeveless charcoal-colored jumpsuit with a halter neckline for her date with Adrien, finishing off the ensemble with a gold watch and strappy black heels. Her hair fell in soft blue-black waves about her face and shoulders, and she had enhanced her natural beauty with a light application of mascara and lipgloss.

"You look as beautiful as always, Marinette," Tikki squeaked. Her tiny mouth curved into a smile, hiding the turmoil she felt inside at worrying for her friend.

A knock at the door interrupted them then; Tikki vanished before Marinette's bedroom swung open to reveal her mother, Sabine, her gentle eyes creased with mirth.

"Adrien is here, Marinette," she said. "Are you ready?"

Forcing back her nervousness, her daughter nodded before following her down the stairs to the apartment. Adrien was already sitting at the kitchen counter, chatting with Marinette's father as the older man tried to offer him a beer.

"No time for that, Dad," Marinette interjected. "We don't want to be late for our reservation."

Truthfully, the less time they spent with Marinette's parents, the lower the risk was of them humiliating her in front of Adrien. She may have grown into a well-adjusted adult, but sometimes her parents didn't see her that way, and it was only a matter of minutes before they started grilling her date on what his intentions with their daughter were.

"It was nice to see you again, Mr. Dupain," Adrien shook his hand politely as he rose to leave.

"Please, call me Tom."

Ever the gentleman, Adrien turned to Marinette's mother and bid her goodbye as well, thanking her for welcoming him into their home.

Marinette blushed; Adrien was meeting her _parents_.

He approached her where she stood glued to the bottom of the stairs. He was dressed handsomely in a sharp, fitted black suit, with an emerald green collared shirt that served to accentuate the already dazzling peridot hue of his eyes. His face was clean shaven, and he had slicked back his blond hair with pomade, making him look every bit like the international supermodel and businessman that he was.

"Hi," he greeted. "Ready to go?"

"Y-yes, I am," she replied thickly. Her tongue seemed to suddenly be taking up too much space in her mouth, making it difficult to speak coherently. How did it all fit in there before?

After another quick round of goodbyes, Adrien took Marinette's arm in his and together they walked down the remaining staircase to the door that opened up onto the street below.

"You look beautiful," he whispered into her ear as he led her to the car parked alongside the curb, causing goosebumps to raise across the exposed flesh of Marinette's arms.

He opened the passenger door to the black luxury vehicle and motioned for Marinette to get inside, sliding his hold from her elbow to her palm for balance. Standing in front of the car, she was once again aware of the fact that Adrien was much taller than her now, by at least a whole head.

"Where's your driver?" she asked without thinking, realizing too late how snooty the question must've sounded.

 _I hope he doesn't think I'm as shallow as Chloe,_ she thought fearfully.

Adrien chuckled. "I prefer to drive myself around these days. After years of restricted freedoms, it's nice to be able to go wherever I please."

Marinette gazed into his green eyes; she could imagine how bittersweet it must have been for him to finally be free of his father's controlling behavior after being trapped by it his entire life.

Subconsciously, she bit her lip, and Adrien's eyes were drawn to the movement, leaning his face in to touch his mouth to the spot where Marinette had been torturing the soft pink flesh between her teeth only a moment ago.

He kissed the corner of her mouth and Marinette whimpered, immediately feeling her body's reaction to him. The sensation of his lips on hers warmed her from head to toe, sending shivers of excitement rippling through her limbs and across her skin. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and drag him down with her in a passionate kiss that included more tongues and teeth, but she resisted the urge, wondering what the hell had come over her to even think of doing such a thing out in the open, on a public street in plain view of anybody who passed.

Adrien pulled away with a smile, sensing her tense beneath him.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I just can't control myself around you."

Marinette almost crumpled into a boneless heap at his admittance. She didn't know if she would be able to control herself around him, either, and she wondered just how she was going to get through dinner with nothing to focus on except for the disarmingly handsome man in front of her.


	11. Chapter 11

The restaurant that Adrien had decided on for their date looked expensive– and Marinette was shocked to see that the prices on the menu confirmed that it was, in fact, _ridiculously_ expensive– but she supposed that money must not be an object for someone as wealthy as the heir to the Agreste fortune.

Adrien ordered a bottle of champagne for them as soon as they were seated at their private booth in the back, selecting the most costly option before the waiter scurried away, returning moments later with a bottle and two flutes. He expertly poured one for each of them before leaving with the promise that he'd return to take their orders momentarily.

"What are we celebrating?" Marinette asked as she eyed the bubbling liquid that had been set before her, nervously twisting a lock of hair around her finger.

Adrien smiled and lifted his glass to toast against hers. "You being back in Paris."

With a pink blush blooming across her cheeks, Marinette raised her own glass and touched it to his with a clink. She tentatively took a sip and was pleasantly surprised; the fizzy, buttery drink went down smoothly with no bitter aftertaste.

They made small talk about what looked good on the menu and what they should order until their server returned a second time; Adrien ordered a serving of oysters on the half shell to share for an appetizer. For the main course, he ordered the lamb flank while Marinette settled on the seafood pasta, worried about what Adrien would think of her if she ordered anything too pricey.

When the waiter disappeared again, once more leaving the couple alone, Marinette felt the icy cold tendrils of guilt begin to wrap around her heart and squeeze. She had yet to beg for Adrien's forgiveness after leaving him in the wake of his father's death years ago– a tragic accident which she had inadvertently played a pivotal role in– and she figured that she had to do the right thing before they went any further. She already felt shameful enough that he was spending so much money on her for their date when she didn't deserve such.

"So, Marinette," Adrien started as soon as she opened her mouth to speak, fixing his jeweled gaze on her. "How do you like fashion journalism?"

Marinette swallowed back her apology.

"It's not really a career that I meant to get into," she started, fidgeting her hands on top of the pristine white tablecloth. "But after graduating from design school, breaking into the industry as a fashion designer proved to be difficult… so it just sort of happened."

She noticed that she was rudely staring down as she spoke; when she looked back up at her date, she found that he was giving her a pitying look. The last thing she wanted was his pity.

"Not that I mind," she amended quickly. "The money is good and I still get to travel to fashion events all around the world, so…"

She trailed off, ending her point with a shrug of her shoulders. Talking about herself only made her more nervous; she found that she'd rather talk about Adrien to keep the focus off of herself and her lackluster life.

"What about you, Adrien? What did you end up going to school for?"

Adrien's eyes glittered and the corners of his mouth twitched upward in a small smile. "Theater. I wanted to become an actor, like my mother. But…"

"But?" Marinette pressed gently.

He sighed. "Life got in the way. As it usually does."

Marinette's stomach twisted; she knew that, after the death of Paris's most famous fashion designer, Adrien had been forced to inherit all of his father's investments and business ventures, and that included all of the responsibilities that came with them. He took over Gabriel's flagship design line and made appearances at many of the industry's biggest events on the company's behalf. He even still modeled occasionally, but to hear that Adrien hadn't been able to achieve his lifelong goal of becoming an actor– because of _her_ interference– wrenched her heart.

He had been thrust into adulthood too soon, killing his dreams before they had even begun, and it was her fault.

"Adrien," she began quietly, resolving to apologize once and for all. "I'm… I'm sorry."

Adrien tilted his head. "For what?"

"For…" She struggled to find the words. What _was_ she sorry for? For being the cause of Gabriel Agreste's death? For leaving Adrien in his moment of need, to deal with the loss of his father alone? For running away to New York rather than face him and own up to what she had done?

"For everything." Her tone was somber. "The night of the dance, I was akumatized because I was sad. Sad and angry. I was so sad that I had lost my chance with you, and so angry at Chloe for taking you away from me."

Her hands shook and she held them in her lap to steady them.

"I don't remember what happened while I was the villain known as Lovebug, but I've heard bits and pieces. I know that I flew your father up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I don't know if I pushed him over the edge or if something else happened, but if I hadn't been akumatized in the first place, if I would've just stayed in control of my emotions, none of it would've happened."

A tear sprung to her eye and she blinked it away. "And then I ran away when you needed me. I should have stayed, should have helped you, but I was so _afraid_ of what you thought of me then. I was scared that I would look into your eyes and see the hatred that you held for me."

Her voice broke. "I'm _so_ sorry, Adrien. I know it's unfair of me to ask for your forgiveness, but I truly am sorry. I've been sorry every day of my life since it happened."

A moment of tense silence passed between the pair. Marinette squeezed her eyes shut, wishing for Adrien to say something. Anything. Even if he told he to go away, that he never wanted to see her again, she would. She would do anything that he asked of her.

"Marinette, that wasn't your fault. _None_ of it was your fault." Reaching under the table, the handsome man seated across from her placed a warm hand atop her own, ceasing the trembling of her fingers. "You _have_ to believe me."

Marinette tilted her head up, blue eyes meeting green, and could see the sincerity of Adrien's words reflected in his irises.

"My father was Hawk Moth all along," he continued. "I didn't know it at the time, but… I was there, on the ground, while you and Cat Noir were fighting him atop the Eiffel Tower. He lost his footing, and he fell. It was an accident. No one could have prevented it."

A sad smile quirked at the corner of his lips. "If anything, his death was his own fault for being a villain."

"Villain or not, he didn't deserve to die," Marinette said softly. "He was your father, and he may have been controlling and overprotective at times, but he was still a person. A human being."

Adrien was taken aback by her kind words, and squeezed her hand gently beneath the table. "Thank you, Marinette. That means a lot to me for you to say that."

Marinette forced a smile. "Don't thank me. Just knowing that you don't hate me is enough."

"Marinette, I could _never_ hate you." Adrien returned her smile with a genuine one of his own. "In fact, how could I _possibly_ hate you when I lov–"

He was interrupted by the reappearance of their server, carrying their appetizer of oysters.

–

Marinette didn't realize how much time had passed until the waiter apologetically dropped off their bill at the end of the night. Around them, the room was devoid of any other patrons, and it became painfully obvious that the establishment had been closed for quite some time, but the pair had been too engrossed in their conversation to notice the restaurant shutting down around them. They had finished their desserts an hour earlier (rather, Marinette had _tried_ to finish her flourless chocolate torte, but was too stuffed from their delicious meal to make much progress), and had been talking nonstop ever since. Adrien gratuitously told the man it was no problem and paid the check in full with a generous tip. He rose from his seat, ready to leave, stretching his stiff muscles before offering Marinette his arm and escorting her out of the building.

Although it was late, the brisk air outside reinvigorated Marinette, and she found that she didn't feel as tired as she should considering the hour. It was a weeknight, and so the Parisian streets weren't as busy as they usually were, leaving Adrien and Marinette practically alone as they walked the short block to where Adrien had parked his car, arm-in-arm the entire way. The elegant facades of the buildings were mostly dark as they passed them, illuminated only by the warm orange glow from the streetlamps, making Marinette feel as though they had Paris all to themselves. She couldn't help but revel in how romantic the whole idea of it was.

"Do you work tomorrow?" Adrien asked; his voice was the only sound on the street beside the rhythmic clicking of Marinette's heels on the pavement echoing around them.

Marinette shook her head, watching the way their footsteps fell into sync as they walked. "No, I don't start until next week. Why?"

"Would you like to come back to my place for a drink?" His green eyes glinted as he looked at her beside him from over his shoulder. "I don't want this night to be over yet."

Marinette's heart leapt into her throat. A nightcap? At Adrien's house? Alone? With _him?_

A giddy tingle started in the tips of her fingers and toes, travelling upward until it consumed her, electrifying her body all over.

"I don't want this night to be over yet, either," she agreed bashfully, resting her cheek against the sleeve of Adrien's suit coat.

–

The Agreste mansion was just as Marinette remembered it when they pulled up, the iron gate opening automatically to let them in. Adrien parked on the curb in front of the towering manor, helping Marinette out of the car before leading her up the steps and into the house through the front door.

Memories flooded her as Marinette took in the sight of the extravagant foyer, its familiar floor-to-ceiling marble finishes and Art Deco tiling reminding her of all the times she had come to call on Adrien as a teenager. Standing there, in the middle of the floor, Marinette once again felt like the shy, lovestruck girl she had once been– and perhaps she still was, if only because Adrien had that effect on her.

The only difference that Marinette could see was the absence of the portrait of Gabriel and Adrien, dressed all over in stylish black, that used to hang above the landing of the grand staircase; in its place hung a blown up black-and-white photograph of a young Gabriel and his wife Emilie, presumably from their engagement. In the photograph, Gabriel, dressed casually in a white, collared shirt, was facing away from the camera, so that his back was visible to the viewer. His head was turned to the side, revealing his profile, as he gazed upon the woman he loved beside him. Emilie stood facing the camera, with both of her pale, slender arms slinked around Gabriel's right arm as she looked off into the distance with a smile, her light hair falling in silky waves over her bare shoulders and the lace of her sleeveless dress.

Marinette wondered vaguely, if she had been the one to be with Adrien for the past ten years, would they have been engaged by now, or even married? Would he have hung a similar portrait of them together on the wall?

She was so caught up in her reminiscing that she didn't notice when Adrien reappeared beside her, following the direction of her gaze to land on the portrait.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he murmured. "I found it when I was cleaning out my father's office after the funeral. He had a whole collection of photos of my mom that he had never shown me before. This one was taken before their wedding."

Marinette nodded; it was a lovely photograph, perhaps the loveliest she had ever seen. Although Gabriel had been a stern and nonsensical man, the fleeting look of love in his eyes had been captured perfectly by the camera's lens. It reminded her of the way that she had caught Adrien looking at her a few times during dinner; the thought made her stomach flutter.

As though he could read her mind, Adrien placed his hands on either of Marinette's shoulders and gently turned her to face him, forcing her to stare directly into his eyes; Marinette could see the thinly-veiled hunger that darkened his irises. Hunger for _her_.

Adrien leaned closer and Marinette's heart began to race, eagerly anticipating the kiss that she knew was coming. He teased her by placing his lips at the corner of her mouth first, leaving a feather-light kiss there that caused Marinette to crave more. He misread her response and hesitated slightly when he felt her tense beneath his hands, pulling back an inch. Growing impatient, Marinette took the lead, turning her head just enough so that their lips finally met in a kiss that was both chaste and sweet.

The kiss was reserved at first, as they each tested the waters, but before long Marinette began to feel the same hunger and kissed him with more determination, hoping to show him with her actions that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. She slid her hands up his covered abdomen, feeling the way the muscles of his toned stomach twitched beneath her touch, before coming to rest beneath his jacket, against his pecs. She flicked her tongue out to taste his bottom lip and Adrien groaned, parting his mouth to have a taste of her as well. They spent agonizing minutes exploring each other's mouths, their tongues grazing each other slowly, tantalizingly, as the kiss became more heated. It had been so long since Marinette had been kissed in such a way, and yet the experience was brand new and exciting, because this time she had the emotion– her love for Adrien– to back up the physical act.

Needing to feel more of him against her, Marinette pressed her body along his front, gasping when she felt the tangible hardness in Adrien's slacks pushing against her womb. At the sound, Adrien wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her deeper and with even more passion, causing them both to moan into the kiss.

When they broke apart for air at last, panting and breathless, Adrien rained tiny kisses over her cheek and jaw, down the sensitive skin of her neck and back up again, before resting his lips against the shell of her ear and whispering the words that caused Marinette's knees to buckle and boiling nectar to pulse through her veins:

"Stay with me tonight."


	12. Chapter 12

"I need you, Marinette. Stay with me tonight."

He repeated it against her ear, his hot breath ghosting over her skin and causing her to shiver at the exciting sensation. It was a request, one that she could turn down if she wanted to do so, but Marinette knew that she had only one choice; she wanted Adrien with every fiber of her being. She wanted his kiss more than her next breath. She wanted his hands on her, running along her skin and memorizing every curve of her body. She wanted him inside of her.

"I will," Marinette breathed in agreement. "I want to stay. With you."

Elated by her answer, Adrien pecked her once more on the lips before taking her hand in his, leading her up the stairs and down the hall to his suite of rooms.

As soon as they were inside of his bedroom, Adrien closed the door and pushed her against the painted wood, pinning her between his arms as his mouth claimed hers once more.

She went slack against him, her small fists bunching in the front of his shirt for leverage as he deepened the kiss, alternating between pushing his tongue into her mouth and nibbling at her pouty bottom lip until it was red and plump. Adrien couldn't fathom how long he had wanted her, how many times he had pined for her to be his, and now she was here, in his room, giving herself over to him completely. His hands travelled from the door her arms, smoothing down her sides to rest on the dip of her hips; he wanted to feel more of her, to let his hands wander and seek purchase on the ample curves of either her breasts or her rear, but deep down he felt like an awkward teenager with Marinette. This wasn't just some lady of the night he could fuck and leave without consequence; this was the woman he loved, the love of his life, and the last thing he wanted to do was push her past her limits or frighten her.

"Adrien, wait," Marinette managed to gasp, breaking the kiss in a staggering moment of clarity. "Is this… are we moving too fast?"

Adrien lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of her palm, brushing his lips over her knuckles. Marinette shuddered at the intimacy of such a gesture… and the odd familiarity of it, although she couldn't place it at the moment.

"I've waited over ten years for this. For _you_ , Marinette." Adrien kissed the tips of her fingers as he spoke. "I should have told you how I felt all those years ago. I don't want to waste any more time."

"Neither do I." Marinette gulped; she was melting into a puddle beneath his touch, his words. Still, her previous intimacy with Cat Noir tugged at the back of her mind, reminding her that she had done the unthinkable only days earlier.

"But, if you want to wait, then I'll wait." Adrien smiled to reassure her. "I'd wait for you forever, Marinette. I love you. With all of my heart and soul."

Marinette inhaled sharply at the revelation. Her blue eyes darted back and forth across his gaze, reading his face.

"I love you, too, Adrien Agreste. I always have."

He had succeeded in breaking down any lingering doubt that she may have had; a surge of fresh desire crashed through her body and she threw her arms around him, kissing him even more passionately than before. Feeling exceptionally bold, she reached up with one hand and undid the tie of her halter behind her neck, allowing the top of her jumpsuit to fall to her waist, freeing her breasts.

Adrien pulled back and hummed appreciatively upon seeing them: two perfect, porcelain orbs dotted with cherry-colored nipples, already hard from the friction of their chests rubbing together.

He lowered his head and kissed the top of them each in turn, before carefully sliding his tongue down to take one of the rosy buds into his mouth. Marinette gripped his shoulder and sighed as he worked the sensitive peak with his lips and tongue. Experimentally, he brought up a hand to tweak her other nipple, and Marinette jolted, a small gasp escaping from her lips at the dual sensations.

She was incredibly responsive to his touch, more so than any woman he had been with before.

"Am I your first?" he asked, releasing her nipple from his mouth with a pop. He was curious, but unsure if he truly wanted to know the answer.

Marinette shook her head sadly.

"Who?" It came out sounding a bit more possessive than he intended.

Her expression was sheepish, a blush tinting her cheeks. "Luka Couffaine."

A wave of jealousy surged through Adrien and he audibly growled, catching Marinette by surprise. Marinette herself wasn't Adrien's first by far, as he had been deflowered by Chloe when they had first started dating, and he had been with an unmemorable string of women since– models, actresses, heiresses, and other members of elite society– but he still felt a stab of regret at ever letting his one true love get away. He held no claim to her virginity, and didn't pretend to, but a part of him was saddened by the fact that he never got to be her first and only and he never would.

When he didn't respond right away, Marinette started babbling to try to explain herself.

"It was at Alya and Nino's wedding. I was emotional, and a little tipsy, and you weren't there…" Her face blushed even redder. "It wasn't even good, anyway. Luka only took care of his own needs and didn't really see to mine. I was more curious about it than anything, so it didn't really matter to me. But I wish… I wish it would've been _you,_ instead."

Adrien's heart skipped a beat at her confession. Without a word, he lifted Marinette into his arms and carried her over to his bed, laying her down before adjusting himself on top of her. He stared down at her with hungry eyes, feeling his stomach muscles tighten at the way she gazed up at him with eyes full of love, her lips parted in anticipation and swollen from his kisses.

"I'm going to love you like it's your first time," Adrien promised in a whisper. "I'm going to worship your body and treat you right. I won't stop loving you until you want me to stop. I'll love you all night long if that's what it takes to fulfill your needs."

Unable to hold back, Marinette whimpered at his words, the spot between her legs involuntarily dampening at Adrien's promise of what was to come.

"May I?"

Marinette nodded her permission, allowing Adrien to pull her jumpsuit the rest of the way off of her body, leaving her naked on his bed except for her panties and heels. He kissed her full on the mouth once more, drawing it out and making it last, before moving downward. He trailed kisses down her neck to her collarbone, across her breasts, over the pale expanse of her stomach, continuing south until his nose tipped the pink fabric of her underwear.

He sat up on his knees, reaching down her slender leg to remove one shoe, and then the other, dropping them to the floor beside the bed before returning to her panties, rimming a finger beneath the lacy hem. Marinette shuddered at his teasing touch and Adrien felt blood surge through his cock at the sight of her so vulnerable, so exposed beneath him; she loved and trusted him fully, and that was why he had to do this right. For her.

Once Marinette was comfortable, he carefully pulled the offending fabric down and tossed it aside, revealing the patch of dark curls at the apex of her thighs. He pushed his nose against her and inhaled her feminine scent, feeling a primal response heat up within him and arrow straight to his groin.

"W-wait a minute," Marinette squeaked suddenly, propping herself up on her elbows to gaze down at him. "Why am I completely naked and you're still fully dressed?"

She was right; she was nude on top of Adrien's gray silk comforter, while he was still dressed in his suit and shoes from dinner.

"Don't worry about it." He winked, and Marinette bit back a smile.

Adrien tenderly pushed her legs apart and aligned his face at eye-level with her weeping sex, pausing when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye; the milky flesh of her inner thigh was marred by what looked like claw marks. The wound wasn't fresh, already faded to nothing but a few pink lines, but the marks looked awfully similar to those caused by his Cat Noir claws; it made him wonder.

He had grabbed Ladybug in the same place during their frenzied lovemaking. Could he have scratched her, leaving his mark? Could this prove that Marinette and Ladybug were the same person, a theory that he had put to rest years ago?

"What's this?" Adrien asked, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the scrape.

Marinette fumbled for an excuse; there was no way that she could tell him it was an injury sustained from intercourse with the superhero known as Cat Noir. "I, um, accidentally scratched myself. While showering."

Adrien gently brushed his lips atop the raised skin. He had secretly hoped that maybe it was a sign, that Marinette _was_ his Lady after all, but he dismissed the thought as nothing more than wishful thinking. Perhaps his lusty state of mind was clouding his judgement, and causing him to see connections and answers where there were none.

Pushing the intrusive thoughts aside, he returned to focusing on the task at hand, sliding his tongue along Marinette's slit in one long, languid swipe that caught her off guard. Jarred by the sudden pleasure, she jerked beneath him, her hand flying out at grab at his head, careful to not tug on his hair too forcefully. Adrien couldn't help but smile at her response as he repeated the action four more times in slow succession, each stroke of his tongue more laborious than the last. Her essence coated his tongue and the inside of his mouth, her musky taste spicy and sweet as it leaked out of her, covering his lips until they were dripping with her cream.

"Adrien," she whined. Her hips bucked against his mouth reflexively, and he had to pin her down with his arm across her stomach to keep her still.

" _Shhh,_ " he hushed her, whispering against the patch of trimmed hair above her sex. "Just relax."

Marinette did as she was told, allowing her head to fall back against the pillows as Adrien resumed lathing her sensitive folds with his mouth, his torturously slow pace quickening with each slide of his tongue. He moved his attentions up to the top of her slit and put his mouth around the bundle of nerves there, pinching it lightly between his lips as he flicked his tongue over the bud. Marinette gasped and writhed beneath him, desperate for something to fill the void within her as Adrien continued to tease and lick at her pearl.

He obliged by sliding a finger inside of her opening to the first knuckle, causing Marinette to moan his name. Her inner walls hugged his digit so tightly that Adrien couldn't help but to moan out loud himself, imagining another part of his anatomy replacing his finger.

He knew that his time would come; he wanted to focus only on Marinette's pleasure first.

At a steady pace, he pumped his finger in and out of her hole as he lavished her clit with a new sense of urgency, feeling the way her muscles clenched and unclenched around him, signalling that her release was close. He added a second digit to the first and resumed pumping; her mewls of pleasure became more frequent and higher in pitch, her hands fisting in the sheets as her back arched off of the bed. Within moments she wailed his name and exploded around his fingers, her walls clamping down like a vice as she rode out her orgasm, her abdominal muscles fluttering with convulsions. Adrien watched her throughout the entire ordeal, fascinated by the sight of her face and body in the throes of pleasure; pleasure that _he_ was giving to her.

When she came back down from the precipice, grinning at her lover with flushed cheeks and half-lidded eyes, he slipped his fingers from her and crawled back up her body to kiss her softly on the lips. She lazily kissed him back, her muscles loose and relaxed from the effects of her climax.

"Oh, Adrien… that was..." Her words failed her as her eyelids fluttered closed.

"I love you, Marinette," he whispered, cupping her face with a hand.

"I love you, Adrien." She opened her eyes to look directly into his and brought her hand up to tangle in the hairs in at the nape of his neck. "I want you to make me yours."

Marinette's words shot straight to the fire in his belly, fueling his arousal. Adrien straightened up to make quick work of his suit; he pulled the jacket and shirt off of his shoulders before unbuckling his belt and kicking off his pants, leaving the entire ensemble in a heap on the floor. Even through his underwear, his throbbing member stood straight out, physical proof of his desire for her. He made quick work of that as well, allowing his erection to spring free; he noticed the way that Marinette watched him undress and bit her lip at the sight of his cock, and he cursed that she was unaware of the sensuality of such a small action. She truly didn't realize how sexy she was.

Climbing back on top of her, he kissed her deeply, the head of his hardened member nudging at her wet sex. Subconsciously, Marinette spread her thighs wider for him, allowing the tip of Adrien's cock to slip inside.

"Are you ready?" he whispered against her lips. She nodded, her cheek rubbing against his, as her arms came up to twine around his neck, bracing herself.

Utilizing all of his self restraint, he pushed into her agonizingly slowly, entering her gradually, inch by inch, not stopping until he had sheathed himself all the way to the hilt in her tight heat. Marinette dug her nails into his back like claws, anchoring herself to him as he filled her completely, and when he buried his face in her hair to stifle the groan of pleasure that threatened to escape him, he smelled nothing but her, his nostrils filled with her fragrance of berries and vanilla.

It almost sent him over the edge, and he hadn't even begun moving inside of her yet.

With painfully controlled movements, he pulled out and pushed back in again, careful not to give in to his baser urges and pound her senseless, despite how good she felt. It was as though she were made to fit him perfectly; Adrien couldn't remember a time with any other woman that had felt so right, so natural. She was still slick from her previous orgasm, primed and ready to accept him, the muscles of her channel squeezing him and working to draw him in deeper.

Becoming one with Adrien at last was pure bliss, and Marinette struggled to keep her composure as he began to move. She was vaguely reminded of her romp with Cat Noir, as half-formed memories of what little she could remember from their spell-induced rendezvous floated to the top of her consciousness, although the two acts couldn't be more dissimilar; this was the tender, compassionate love making of Adrien Agreste, not the animalistic rutting she had experienced with Cat. She forced the thoughts to the back of her mind.

Witchkraft's curse be damned; she knew without a doubt that Adrien was her true soulmate.

Adrien increased his pace, feeling the friction build as the coil inside of his loins wound tighter and tighter, like a spring ready to burst. Marinette's breathing was coming in pants now, punctuated every few seconds by her unalderated moans; within minutes she was thrashing beneath him as he drove into her, over and over again, pushing her into the mattress from the force of his thrusts, his name falling wantonly from her lips as she peaked for the second time.

Adrien followed soon after, holding Marinette close as he finished inside of her with a particularly hard thrust and a grunt, feeling his own orgasm ripple over him in euphoric waves, his cock pulsing as it emptied deep within her womb. It was the most intense, explosive climax of his life, and when he pushed himself up on his elbows, supporting his weight so as not to crush the petite woman beneath him, he could see the way his arms shook from the effort.

When he recovered after a minute, catching his breath, he collapsed beside Marinette on the bed. He pulled her against his chest and she cocooned herself in his embrace, nuzzling her forehead beneath his chin.

"I love you," Adrien sighed sleepily, brushing the damp strands of hair away from her forehead and cheeks before placing a loving kiss atop her crown. "Please stay with me _every_ night."

Marinette smiled and let her heavy eyelids slip closed. "I will."


	13. Chapter 13

_Act III_

–

Marinette's eyelids slowly opened as she drifted into consciousness. Morning sunlight streamed in through the windows, filling the large bedroom suite with golden light. It took her a moment to gain her bearings, remembering that she was in Adrien's room at the Agreste mansion where she had been living for weeks, and not her childhood bedroom at her parents' apartment.

It had only been a month since their first date, and yet she felt perfectly at home with Adrien already. She had worried at first that Hawk Moth– or _whoever_ possessed the Butterfly Miraculous at the time– was going to become a regular occurrence in her life after the disaster of their high school reunion, but when it became apparent that Chloe's akumitization may have been a fluke, and that a repeat performance wasn't forthcoming, Marinette had allowed herself to slip into a comfortable domestic routine with the man she loved.

Beside her, Adrien continued to sleep peacefully. He was lying on his back, the expanse of his bare chest rising and falling in time with his breathing, and Marinette couldn't help but seize the opportunity to admire her love in such an angelic state.

His blond hair, tousled from sleep, fell in shaggy wisps over his forehead and eyes. Marinette's eyes traced a trail from the handsome, aristocratic features of his face– which betrayed more of its boyish charm than usual in unconsciousness– down to his muscular chest and chiseled abs. He had filled out since adolescence, his body growing and maturing into that of a healthy, strong young man, his arms and legs bulging with lean muscle beneath the slightly tanned and freckled skin. The front of his torso was covered in a smattering of fine, pale hairs that thickened below his belly button in a path that disappeared below the waistband of his silk pajama pants. Marinette followed the path until her eyes landed on the part of his anatomy that stood straight at attention, protruding upward from between his legs, straining against the black silk that contained it. Involuntarily, she licked her lips at the sight. Seeing him next to her in bed, and knowing that his heart belonged to her and her alone, made her body heat up all over.

She knew what she wanted to do.

Marinette's hands flew to the top of Adrien's pants and pushed them down, allowing his erection to spring free before her hungry gaze. She moved down until her face was level with his throbbing member and puckered her lips, pressing them softly to the dark and glistening tip. It twitched of its own accord; Marinette looked up to see that Adrien was still sound asleep, but she knew that, if her plan worked, he wouldn't be asleep for much longer.

Amused by her own boldness, Marinette had to stifle a giggle as she stuck her tongue out and ran the wet, flat edge of it along the length of Adrien's cock, from base to tip and back down again, moistening the velvety skin. She froze when Adrien shifted slightly in sleep, before repeating the action, lathing his member with her tongue until it was shimmery with her saliva. He tasted salty, with a hint of his own natural musk.

Mouth watering and unwilling to wait any longer, Marinette took the whole of him into her mouth and slid down until he hit the back of her throat; she gagged and pulled back, feeling the tears that sprang to her eyes at trying such an advanced move. She was inexperienced in the art of giving oral pleasure, as Adrien usually preferred her to be on the receiving end– not that she ever complained– but it was apparent that she would need more practice to hone her skills.

Grasping him lightly to hold him steady, Marinette was about to dive back in and try the move again when she noticed a pair of half-lidded green eyes watching her with wicked amusement. She had been so focused on her task that she hadn't noticed that Adrien had awakened.

"Morning," he rasped with a smirk. The rough edges of his sleepy voice caused the blood to begin to pool in the pit of Marinette's abdomen. It was an extremely sexy sound, and a huge turn on.

She blushed at being caught. "Good morning."

"Decided to get started without me?" He reached down to brush her hair away from her face with a hand.

Marinette glanced at the rock-hard erection she still held in her fist. "Something like that. I wanted to surprise you…"

Adrien chuckled softly. "I am _definitely_ surprised."

Teasingly and with a bashful smile, Marinette wrapped her lips around the tip of his cock and sucked, never once breaking eye contact; the action succeeded in eliciting a moan from Adrien as his head tipped back against the pillow, his body tensing from the tingle of pleasure that danced up his spine from having her mouth on him in such an intimate way.

She continued for some time, keeping her fingers wrapped around his shaft as she gently suckled the head, revelling in the way that Adrien's breathing started gradually getting heavier and heavier, until it was coming in pants. When her fist began to pump up and down in slow, deliberate movements, Adrien grunted and gasped, bucking his hips into her hand. The fact that Marinette could have such an affect on him was empowering; she found herself growing more and more aroused by having Adrien at her mercy in such a way, turned on by her own sexual prowess.

"Come here," Adrien commanded at long last, reaching for her arms to pull her up on top of him. She straddled him around the waist, her knees on the bed on either side of his hips; although she was still dressed in her nightie and panties, Adrien's hardness rubbed against her covered sex in an enticing grind, releasing her moisture and dampening the fabric.

"I'm going to be late for work," Marinette giggled.

Adrien reached up to slip the thin straps from either of Marinette's porcelain shoulders, loosening her breasts so that he could palm them in his hands. "Nice try, my Lady, but I know that you work from home and make your own hours."

"Well, then, _you're_ going to be late for work."

"I've got nowhere important to be." He sat up and took a rosy nipple into his mouth, sucking and licking until it pebbled against his tongue. "Besides, I'm the boss. No one can start without me, anyway."

When Marinette spoke, her voice was airy, affected by Adrien's ministrations as his mouth moved to her other breast. "Aren't your associates and employees going to wonder where you've been all morning? They might speculate."

Adrien's lips curled against her collarbone as he bucked his hips, pushing up against her at an angle that caused each of them to gasp in unison at the pleasurable friction.

"Let them speculate."

–

After a lengthy shower (in which Adrien joined her before leaving for work), Marinette spent a few hours working at her computer, typing up an article for the magazine in anticipation of Paris Fashion Week. She enjoyed her work, as she was good at it and it kept her busy, but she couldn't help but imagine what could've been if she would have made it as a fashion designer like she had always dreamed.

At least one of her lifelong dreams had come true; having Adrien was more than enough. She was eternally grateful for his love and the happiness that he brought her.

When lunchtime rolled around, Marinette left the house and walked to meet Alya at an outdoor streetside cafe near the news studio. It had been a month since they had last seen each other, as they had both been busy in the aftermath of the reunion, and they had a lot of catching up to do.

As soon as they were seated and had ordered their food, Alya transformed into an infinite spigot of gossip, chattering excitedly about everything she had heard "through the grapevine" concerning the fallout following Witchkraft's spell. Marinette was content to simply listen to her friend, although she had to admit that she really _was_ curious to learn more about that night.

"Rose and Juleka both came to the reunion with their husbands, but when they got hit by Witchkraft, they ended up _doing it_ together against the wall by the coat check. Now I hear that Juleka's husband has filed for divorce, and she's moved in with Rose– who is currently separated from her own husband."

"Wow." It was all that Marinette could say; their entire class had known since forever that the two women had long harbored secret feelings for one another, but refused to admit it to themselves, claiming that they were good friends and nothing more. Although the situation was messy, Marinette was glad that they were finally getting the happy life together that they deserved.

"And when Marc was hit by the spell, he kept asking for Nathaniel, but Nathaniel didn't attend the reunion because he's been out of the country exhibiting his artwork at a museum in China. Isn't that _depressing?_ " Alya said the word with emphasis for dramatic effect. "I'm going to try to keep tabs on them when they finally see each other again to see what comes of it."

"I thought they were already dating?" Marinette questioned, taking a sip of her sparkling water.

Alya shook her head. "They've come pretty close, and they're _always_ together, but I don't think either one has made the 'first move,' if you know what I mean."

Adrien had made the first move that had initiated their relationship. If he would have never done so, would Marinette have been brave enough to take the initiative herself? She had to remind herself that there was no point in worrying over it now.

"But that's not all." Alya's eyes glinted with mirth. "Remember how I told you that night that Nino and I were going to try for a baby?"

Marinette nodded.

"Well, we didn't have to try long. We conceived _that night_."

It took Marinette a moment to realize precisely what Alya was saying; her face lit up as soon as it hit her.

"Oh my– Alya, you're _pregnant?_ That's wonderful!" Marinette bounced up and down in her seat excitedly, clapping her hands. "How did you find out?"

"I knew I was pregnant as soon as I missed my period," Alya boasted. "I mean, I took a test to confirm it, but missing my period was my first clue."

A missed period seemed like an odd thing to brag about, until Marinette realized that her own period had been due over a week ago and hadn't happened. She thought hard, trying to remember, counting the days of her cycle both forwards and backwards to be sure she hadn't miscounted. How could she have missed it? She had been so caught up in work and her relationship with Adrien that it must have slipped her mind.

Marinette jerked in her seat. Could _she_ possibly be pregnant? The idea that she could be carrying Adrien's child inside of her filled her with joy, until her heart sank at remembering her indiscretion with Cat Noir. The night of Witchkraft's spell and her first time with Adrien had occurred less than a week apart. Did that mean that there was a chance that Adrien _wasn't_ the father? That the budding life that potentially grew within her was actually Cat Noir's?

If she was truly pregnant, then she couldn't be sure who the father was. Her throat constricted at the thought of it.

"Alya," Marinette started suddenly, her eyes wide. "I've missed my period, too."

Alya choked on her orange juice. " _What?_ How late are you?"

"Over a week."

"So that means… you and Adrien are going to be parents?" Alya nearly shrieked, grinning from ear to ear. "Girl, you two got _busy!_ But it's about damn time. I always knew you'd end up having his babies, and now our kids can grow up together, just like we always plan–"

She noticed her dark-haired friend's crestfallen expression too late and deflated at the sight.

"-ned. What's the matter? Adrien... _is_ the father, isn't he?"

Marinette inhaled sharply, looking at the woman seated across from her with glistening eyes.

"The night of the reunion… I… I got hit with Witchkraft's spell, and..."

Her face burned; the shameful words broke her heart further with each one that she had to say out loud.

"I had sex with… someone else. Someone who wasn't Adrien."

Alya gasped, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand. "Oh, Mari… I had no idea."

Marinette's body began to quake and her shoulders racked with the sobs that took over; she couldn't help it. The idea that she could be pregnant and it _wasn't_ Adrien's was too horrible to think of. Especially when everything had been going so well.

She hadn't even seen Cat Noir since that night a month ago. What if he wasn't reachable anymore? For all Marinette knew, he may have left Paris. He may have left Europe altogether. She didn't know his true identity, or anything about him other than his superhero persona. How could she possibly have a child with him?

And how could she explain any of this to Adrien without outing herself as Ladybug? She'd have to lie to the man she loved. She'd have to lie to tell the truth. She'd rather have her guts ripped out through her bellybutton by one of Hawk Moth's villains.

"I have to tell him," Marinette stammered, wiping her nose on the back of her hand. "I have to tell Adrien that I might be pregnant and it might not be his. It's going to ruin everything."

An involuntary cry ripped from her throat and she buried her face in her hands. He was going to think the worst of her. Their perfect existence was about to be shattered, and it was all her fault. Once again, Marinette had managed to ruin lives other than her own.

"Hey, hey. Don't stress yourself out. It could be nothing," Alya soothed. In her distress, Marinette hadn't noticed that her friend had moved to kneel beside her on the pavement, rubbing the top of her leg and her forearm in comforting strokes. "Take a test to be sure. Don't decide on anything until you do. Okay?"

Marinette nodded, hating herself for ruining Alya's special news with her meltdown. This should have been her moment to bask in the revelation of her own pregnancy, and yet here she was, putting her own needs aside to care for her distraught friend.

It only made Marinette hate herself even more. Subconsciously, she allowed a hand to travel to her stomach and rest there, wondering if a tiny being slumbered inside and if she was destined to ruin its life as well.


	14. Chapter 14

Marinette stared at the pink-and-purple cardboard box on the bathroom counter from her spot on the toilet. She was sitting with the lid down and her pants secured around her waist, the complete opposite of the directions stated on the back of the package.

All she had to do was pee on the test, wait a couple of minutes, and then she'd know without a doubt if she was going to be a mother. Somehow, that seemed more difficult than battling a hundred of Hawk Moth's akumatized villains at once.

"What are you waiting for, Marinette?" Tikki squeaked as she inspected the white plastic stick that she had freed from the box. "Don't you want to find out for sure whether you're pregnant or not?"

Marinette sighed. "Yes…"

She scrunched her nose. "Well, _no_ … ugh, it's complicated."

"The longer you take to find out, the longer you're going to drive yourself crazy."

The little kwami had a point. With a sudden burst of bravery, Marinette reached forward, towards the pregnancy test that Tikki held out to her, but snatched her hand back at the last second as though it would burn her.

"I can't," she bemoaned, covering her face with her hands. "What if I _am_ pregnant? What will I do?"

Tikki flew to rest on her friend's knee, tugging at the fabric of her dress. "You'll have to tell Adrien, Marinette, but it won't be so bad. He loves you no matter what. You can get through this."

"Everything with Adrien has been so perfect. Like a dream." Marinette allowed her hands to fall listlessly away from her face. "If I take this test, and the result comes out positive… then nothing will ever be the same between me and Adrien."

The thought hit her like a ton of bricks; the fate of her relationship hinged on whether or not she was pregnant with another man's child. It caused her stomach to lurch.

She sighed again. "I want to pretend that everything is still fine. To enjoy things just the way they are for a little while longer."

"You should try talking to Cat Noir," Tikki suggested. "He's always been a reliable friend. And this concerns him just as much as it does you. Maybe he can help."

Marinette was about to ponder the idea when the sound of the front door opening and closing and the subsequent commotion coming from downstairs snapped Marinette back to reality. Footsteps were coming up the stairs– and fast.

"Adrien's home!" She snatched the pregnancy test and shoved it back into the box before tossing the entire package into her purse. "Hide, Tikki!"

Tikki zipped out of sight just as Marinette heard Adrien's voice call out her name from the bedroom on the other side of the door. She peeked her head out to see Adrien, shirtless, standing in the middle of the room. She had caught him in the middle of changing clothes. Her breath hitched at the view.

"Hey," he breathed, smiling upon seeing her. He moved forward as Marinette exited the bathroom, pulling her into a hug. "I missed you today."

Marinette inhaled his scent, wanting to commit it to memory; it was rich and woodsy, with a touch of citrus. She regretted the loss of his scent and his warmth when he pulled away to look into her eyes.

"How was your day?"

Marinette shrugged. "It was alright. How was yours?"

Truthfully, the guilt of her secret had been weighing heavily on her conscience all day, making her miserable– especially now that the man that she loved was standing right in front of her.

Adrien flopped backwards onto the bed with an exhausted sigh. "It wasn't too bad. Vincent took a little longer than usual to get the shots he needed, but I'm just glad we were able to finish up today so we wouldn't have to schedule another shoot for awhile."

He patted the spot next to himself to indicate that she should join him. Smoothing the front of her black, short-sleeved dress, Marinette sat beside Adrien on the bed. His hand snaked into hers, interlocking her fingers in his, and Marinette managed to smile down at him.

"I had lunch with Alya today. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell you this, or if she wanted to keep it a surprise for later, but... she's _pregnant_."

 _And I might be pregnant, too._

Adrien sat up. "You're kidding."

Marinette shook her head. "Not kidding. Apparently, they conceived the night of the reunion."

"Good for them." Adrien's soft green eyes took on a sentimental look. He glanced down at their clasped hands, lost in thought, as the pad of his thumb absentmindedly rubbed circles over her knuckles. Marinette elbowed him gently.

"What's up?" she asked softly.

He snapped back to attention, as though he hadn't realized that his focus had drifted to other things. "I was just thinking…"

"About what?"

His lips curved into a goofy smile. "About how nice it'd be to have kids of our own someday."

He turned his head to gaze into her eyes, and Marinette swore that he could see right through her. Before she could say anything in response, Adrien rose to stand on his feet, bringing her up with him and pecking a quick kiss on her lips.

"Are you busy tonight? There's something that I want to show you."

–

Adrien drove them to the high-end shopping district that ran along the bank of the Seine, parking on the curb outside of a store with a glossy black marble facade. The large glass windows stood empty without a display, devoid of anything that could give passersby a hint as to what could be found within, and the glass panes of the doors had been covered over with opaque black paper. As Marinette stepped out of the car, she saw that the gilded letters above the double doors read GABRIEL + EMILIE.

Marinette gasped. "You have your own boutique?"

From beside her, Adrien nodded. "Almost. I've gotten it this far, but there's just one more thing I need to do before it can officially open."

He moved forward and stuck a key in the lock, opening the door for Marinette to step inside. The large showroom was flooded with warm light, allowing Marinette to take everything in; contrary to the luxurious outside, the interior decor was rustic and charmingly flawed. Reclaimed barn wood floors covered the expanse of the room, and the walls were layered with varying textures of polished concrete and white brick. Iron rails, hooks, and other fixtures for hanging clothing furnished the room, tentatively placed on alternating spots marked with tape, as though the exact layout was still being figured out. On one side, Marinette could recognize some early concept art of fashion designs by Gabriel Agreste himself, framed and mounted every few feet on the walls; on the other side, artistic sketches of a woman Marinette could vaguely make out to be Emilie Agreste were similarly displayed.

It was so unlike all of the other designer stores on the strip. But, then again, Adrien Agreste himself was so unlike all of the other designers.

"This one here will be the flagship store," Adrien explained as he gave Marinette a tour, circling the room. "I'd like to open satellite stores in Milan, New York, and Tokyo to start. Maybe even have an exclusive line at the Galeries Lafayette at some point."

"Adrien, this is incredible," she breathed, in awe of everything. He gave her hand a squeeze and she squeezed back.

"I've built everything in here by myself. From the fixtures to the floors. I've owned all of my father's businesses since I was eighteen, but this is the first thing I own that is truly mine from start to finish." He grimaced slightly. "That's why I missed Alya and Nino's wedding. I had to be here to finalize the paperwork and get the keys to the building. I wanted to see you, but…"

His voice trailed off. Marinette could imagine what a difficult decision it must have been for him; he had to either give up the chance to see her, or give up the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something on his own, after years of misery and manipulation, completely free and independent of his father.

She hummed. "You don't have to justify it to me. I understand."

"But if I _had_ seen you that weekend, then I'd have made damn sure that Luka Couffaine wasn't your first."

"I'm sorry," Marinette mumbled regrettably. She wished more than anything that it would have been Adrien to deflower her over Luka.

"Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong." He smiled to reassure her.

"Back here," he continued as they made their way to a heavy wooden door at the back; it looked like it belonged in a Medieval castle rather than a high-end clothing shop. "Is where my studio is."

The door opened into a smaller, windowless room, but it was still airy and wide enough for working. A myriad of sewing and textile implements lined the walls, and the shelving at the back of the room was filled with dozens of bolts of fabric. Mannequins stood in various states of dress, stuck with pins and swatches of material. As Marinette gazed around the room, she noticed that there were two workbenches; one for Adrien, and one for someone else.

"Over there," he said, pointing to the empty table. "Is where _your_ workspace will be."

Marinette whipped around to face him. " _Excusez-moi?_ "

Adrien smirked down at her. "I need a designer for the women's clothing, but I'll only commission the best. That's _you_ , Marinette. I want you to design for the 'Emilie' line of _Gabriel et Emilie_."

Her heart sped up and her ears rang as she tried to process his words; she was certain that she hadn't heard him correctly.

"Adrien, I…" She swallowed thickly, and resisted the urge to clutch a hand over her stomach. "I don't know what to say."

"Say 'yes,'" Adrien said with a laugh, taking both of her hands in his. "Surely you still want to follow your dream of becoming a designer?"

Marinette nodded. "Yes, but… I haven't designed anything in _years_."

"I trust wholeheartedly in your talents, my love." Adrien shrugged. "Besides, I owe you."

"Owe me?" Marinette blinked.

Adrien's face fell and his expression was suddenly somber. He reached a hand up to brush Marinette's hair away from her face, which she had worn down in loose curls, tucking the rebellious locks behind her ear as his eyes scanned her face in reverence.

"For all the times I let you down… all the times that Chloe manipulated me and I let her get away with it." His eyes glistened. "I was so blind back then. We've lost so much time, and it's because of me and my shortcomings. I should have stood up to her. I should have stood up for _you_. Many times. I'm sorry."

Marinette was shocked to hear that Adrien blamed himself for their missed chances to be together. For over ten years, she had only blamed herself. She had always felt responsible due to her shyness, her intimidation by Chloe, and her duties as Ladybug. Not to mention the all-encompassing guilt caused by Gabriel Agreste's death.

It filled her with emotion.

Stepping forward, she twined her arms around Adrien's neck and kissed him deeply, passionately, moaning into his mouth when his hands skimmed down her sides to rest on her hips. The sound ricocheted through Adrien like a firecracker, igniting something primal within him; the kiss quickly delved into sexual territory, their tongues prodding and twirling as their hands roamed over each other's bodies. A heat began to burn within Marinette's womb and her blood raced through her veins. She was suddenly desperate for Adrien to fill her, to satisfy her carnal lust fueled by her love for him.

"Adrien," she gasped. "Make love to me. Make love to me here. Like it's the last time. Like we'll never get this chance again."

Needing no further goading, Adrien lifted Marinette easily and placed her on the workbench behind her, so that she was sitting facing him with her legs dangling over the edge. She reached down to grope him through his pants as he resumed kissing her, attacking her mouth with a ferocity that caused her pulse to quicken, and could feel how engorged he already was. Her sex moistened instantaneously at the knowledge that it was for her, and only for her.

His hands slipped under the hem of her dress and pushed up, bunching the jersey knit fabric at her hips and revealing her black panties. In a flash, her underwear was off and tossed aside, and Adrien unfastened the clasp of his jeans, pushing them down enough to pull his cock out. He hooked his arms under her knees and moved his hands beneath Marinette's rear to grip her cheeks, pulling her forward to the edge of the table. He rubbed the tip of his erection against her slit to ensure that she was wet before plunging himself into her heat; when Marinette cried into the kiss he bit her lower lip posessively and sucked on it to quiet her.

Marinette's fingernails dug into Adrien's shirt-covered back, clinging to him under the barrage of his thrusts, pushing her tongue into his mouth as they were both swept away by mutual passion. He pounded into her with wanton abandon, his thrusts punishing her, and Marinette didn't stop him; she wanted him like this. She needed him like this. It was what she craved– what she deserved.

When he thrust hard enough to hit the back of her womb, Marinette cried out in painful pleasure, and Adrien had to stifle his own groan by biting down on Marinette's neck, marking her as his.

"I'll never let you go again," he whispered into her ear. "I'm never letting you go. You're mine and I am yours. Forever."

Tears sprang to Marinette's eyes at his words and she unravelled under his assault, her inner walls tightening in convulsions as she threw her head back and cried out, her climax washing over her body in euphoric ripples. Adrien roared and finished inside of her with a particularly violent thrust, stilling against her as he struggled to catch his breath. When he pulled away to press a kiss to her damp and sweaty forehead, he noticed the wet trails that ran down Marinette's cheeks in rivers.

"You're crying," he murmured, astonished. His eyes crinkled in remorse and he pulled her tightly to him, shushing her. "Damn, I was too rough. I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?"

Marinette shook her head and he held her tighter; she couldn't tell him that the real reason for her tears was the fact that didn't deserve him or his love because she was being dishonest with him. There was the possibility that she was carrying another man's child within her, and she had yet to tell him; it was as bad as lying, or infidelity, and for that reason she didn't deserve his adoration nor his tenderness. She didn't deserve his declarations of commitment nor his desire to sire children with her. She didn't deserve any of it, but she knew that it would all come to an end soon enough.

–

As soon as Adrien was asleep, Marinette rose from the bed, careful not to disturb him. She grabbed her purse and snuck off to the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind herself. Following the instructions printed on the box, she urinated on the end of the stick before replacing the clap, setting it carefully on the countertop with shaking hands. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for what felt like an eternity before checking the time on her phone to be sure that enough time had elapsed for the test result to be activated. Trembling, she inhaled a deep breath, before picking up the stick and squinting at the tiny result window, finding herself face-to-face with the blue plus sign that stared back at her.

The test result was positive. Marinette was pregnant.


	15. Chapter 15

Adrien leapt from rooftop to rooftop, the skin-tight leather of his Cat Noir suit doing little to protect him from the chill in the air. The season was changing, rapidly it seemed, and the days had started growing cooler and the nights even more so.

He ran until he reached the aforementioned location that Ladybug had picked out for their clandestine meeting. Luckily, Marinette was out shopping late with Alya, and so Adrien had plenty of time to meet with his partner and return before Marinette got home.

When he had first seen Ladybug calling on his phone, he was worried that the new Hawk Moth was terrorizing Paris again, but she had assured him that wasn't the case. It seemed odd to Adrien that, after an unexplainable ten-year hiatus, the Butterfly Miraculous would make a reappearance at their high school reunion only to go dormant once again; it had already been over a month since Chloe's akumitization and there had been no reports of any other villains since.

He skidded to a stop on the specified rooftop and settled in to wait; he didn't have to wait long as Ladybug jumped down from the chimney, landing gracefully in front of him.

"Cat Noir," she greeted, straightening to face him. "Thanks for coming to meet me."

Adrien shrugged and crossed his arms. "No biggie, Bugaboo. How've you been?"

Ladybug tapped the toe of her foot on the ground and sighed. "Not gonna lie… I've been better."

Adrien's interest was piqued; his heightened senses easily picked up on her distressed state. Even with her mask disguising her face he could tell that her expression was tight, and her muscles were tense beneath her spotted suit. He wondered what could possibly cause her to be so stressed.

"Is it Hawk Moth? Have you found a clue as to who he or she is?"

Ladybug shook her head, focusing on the city below to avoid his gaze.

"So, what's the deal? If Hawk Moth– or _whoever_ has the Butterfly Miraculous– hasn't resurfaced, then _why_ did you call me?"

Her head snapped up and she glared at him. "What, I can't call you just to talk? I thought that we were _friends,_ but it seems that our relationship is strictly professional to you."

Cat Noir took a shocked stepped back; he hadn't anticipated such an outburst from his Lady. She realized within seconds that she had stepped out of line, that there was no need to bite his head off. Her face softened and her shoulders slackened apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." She sighed and ran a hand over her hair. "I've just been going through a lot."

Adrien moved forward and placed a comforting hand on Ladybug's shoulder. She winced at the gesture, and he knew that she must have been remembering the last time that he had put his hands on her in a similar way. An _intimate_ way.

"If you need to talk, I'm all ears." He tweaked the leather cat ears atop his head with his free hand to emphasize his point.

Ladybug wrapped her arms around her abdomen and hugged herself, tightly, as if by doing so she could keep herself together, or at least keep herself from falling apart in front of him.

"That night... that we… _you know_ …"

Her cheeks pinked and Adrien couldn't help but notice how adorable the color looked on her.

"Yeah, I remember," he said. "Rather, I remember _some_ of it. But I know that it happened."

Ladybug nodded and continued speaking.

"Shortly after that night, I… met someone." She was choosing her words carefully, to avoid confessing too many personal details. "We've also been… intimate."

A stab of jealousy arrowed through Adrien's gut at her confession. Why should he be jealous? He had someone special as well, and she happened to be the most wonderful woman in the world. Ladybug may have been his first love, but Marinette was the love of his life.

 _Still…_

Adrien shook his head to clear the envious thoughts away.

Ladybug inhaled a sharp breath, trying to suck into her lungs all of the courage that she would require to say the next part.

"Cat... I'm pregnant."

 _Pregnant._

The word echoed through Adrien's brain, bouncing off of the walls of his skull and causing his heart to drop into the pit of his stomach like a sinking stone. It took him a moment to register her statement, processing it and measuring its severity. His Lady was _pregnant_. Could that mean that there was a chance that he had gotten her with child on the night that they were affected by Witchkraft's spell? She had already admitted that there was someone else in the picture, another man, but that didn't negate the fact that Adrien could possibly be a father to a baby born to a woman other than his Marinette if the timing was right.

"Are you sure?"

Ladybug nodded. "I took a test."

"Who's is it?" he managed to choke out. "Is it mine?"

She met his gaze at last, drawing her sad eyes up to look directly into his own. When she spoke, her voice was flat. Emotionless.

"I don't know."

Adrien's mind spun. A buzzing filled his ears, the sound of rushing blood and his own hollow thoughts as Ladybug's confession hit home.

"It's either you... or him. But it's too early to tell," she continued. Her voice shook. "I know that there's paternity tests and other methods to determine parentage that can be done after birth, but that's still a long way off."

Despite his usually impeccable cat-like balance, Adrien felt his world sway around him and he had to grasp the metal railing behind himself to stay upright. If Ladybug was pregnant, and it could be his– even if she wasn't sure– he would have to do right by her. He would have to play every bit the part of doting and supportive father-to-be. Adrien may have been many things, but a man who leaves a pregnant woman to fend for herself was not one of them.

The worst part would be telling Marinette.

No, he couldn't tell Marinette; it would _crush_ her. To have to come clean and confess to her that he had intimate relations with another woman only days before their first date, and had conceived a child through that union, would be too painful for her to bear. She didn't deserve such pain. Why should she have to suffer because of his mistake? Adrien would rather die at the hands of Hawk Moth himself.

He knew what he had to do; he had to break up with Marinette. It would still hurt her, but it would hurt less than knowing that he was living a double-life as a partner to a woman he barely knew, who carried his heir within her womb. She'd be able to move on and live her life without him. Hopefully she'd find another man and settle down, have the house and three kids and a cat that she'd always wanted and talked about. The thought shattered his heart into a million pieces; he couldn't live, couldn't _breathe_ without Marinette. She was his sole reason for living, bringing him a joy and happiness that he had never known in any of his twenty-eight years on Earth. But she deserved that same joy and happiness for herself; if she had to find it with another man– even if that man was Luka Couffaine– then Adrien could find a reason to go on. He could survive knowing that Marinette was better off without him, even if his life would never have meaning again.

He hadn't noticed that Ladybug was rubbing his back until he felt the warmth of her hand seep through his suit. He had somehow ended up sliding to the ground, sitting with his knees bent in front of him, staring at his feet. It took him another moment to realize that she was talking, but he hadn't heard any of it.

"Huh?" he rasped.

"I said that you needn't worry about me," Ladybug murmured softly. "I can take care of this situation on my own, so you don't need to bother yourself. I don't need your help. You have no obligation to me or the child."

Adrien's blood began to boil within his veins. What kind of a man did she think he was to assume that he wouldn't be there for her? That he wouldn't take responsibility for his part in the passion they had both shared that night? He was beyond offended that she would think so poorly of him. He leapt to his feet, angrily, and glared at his partner.

"If you think that I'm going to leave you, _pregnant_ , to deal with this alone, then you're sorely mistaken."

Ladybug seemed taken aback by his sudden rage. "I don't even know if it's yours, Cat, so there's no need to–"

"But there's a chance that it _is_ mine, correct?"

Ladybug bit her lip, but didn't respond.

"Right. So, until we know for sure, I'm going to be there for you and that child every step of the way."

Now it was Ladybug's turn to be angry; she balled her fists at her sides.

"What makes you think that _you_ get to decide whether or not you get to deal with this with me?" She took a bold step towards him. "It's _my_ problem, and I'll deal with it by myself. On my own terms."

Her face crumpled. "I've already ruined so many lives. Please, Cat… I can't ruin yours, too."

Adrien swallowed the lump in his throat, narrowing his eyes at her. He was in a bad place and knew that he shouldn't say anything, that he should walk away before he said something hurtful, but he couldn't help himself.

"Well, you should have thought about that before you made me fall in love with you all of those years ago," he spat bitterly. "Then maybe Witchkraft's spell wouldn't have worked and none of this would have happened."

Before he could see her shocked expression, as her bluebell eyes widened and jaw went slack, he turned and leapt into the night, racing all the way home with his eyes squeezed shut to keep the tears from falling.

–

Marinette sat at the kitchen counter, turning the Lucky Charm that Adrien had gifted her as a teenager over and over in her hands, watching its blue and yellow surfaces shine in the light from the overhead lamps. The glass beads clicked together in a soothing and familiar melody that was like music to Marinette's ears; it had always brought her comfort, and she took it out to use its healing powers frequently. The silk thread that strung the entire thing together had worn over time from so much use, the edges fraying and frizzing, and Marinette made a mental note to try to restring it at some point with new thread before it fell apart on its own.

It was nearly midnight and Adrien still hadn't returned home. She had no idea where he had gone off to, and he hadn't left a note. It was so unlike him that it made her uneasy; her nerves were jittery and her limbs were restless, her knees bouncing on the stool below the counter. On top of her meeting with Cat Noir, Adrien's unexplained absence only served to stress her out more, and she wondered vaguely whether or not such negative emotions were healthy for the baby that grew within her.

As if on cue, she heard the click of the front door being unlocked, followed by Adrien's telltale footsteps. The only lights on in the house were in the kitchen, and so he found her easily, entering the room like an apparition.

Marinette was shocked by what she saw.

Adrien's hair was rustled, and his clothes were wrinkled and out of place. He looked as though he had been running, or sleeping in an alley, or both. When he looked at her, his normally bright peridot eyes were dull, the sockets around them sunken and hollow.

She rose to her feet. "Adrien, what in the world?"

He crossed the kitchen wordlessly and pulled her to him in an embrace, holding her tightly against him. It felt as though he was holding her like it was the last time he'd ever get to do so; his embrace felt like a goodbye.

"Adrien," Marinette squeaked, fear tainting her voice. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

He didn't answer her. Instead, Adrien released his hold on her just enough to be able to kiss her on the mouth, taking his time to taste and explore her moist cavern, flicking the tip of his tongue along her pouty lips until they were wet and shiny with saliva. Marinette shuddered at the sensation. Her eyelids inadvertently drooped closed.

"I love you, Adrien," she sighed into the kiss, raking her fingers through his golden tresses. She had planned on telling Adrien that night about her unexpected pregnancy, but she figured that the news could wait one more day; telling one person had already been taxing enough, and it was apparent that Adrien needed her at the moment. She needed him just as badly. Already a desire had begun to pool in the pit of her abdomen, begging for Adrien to make her whole.

She promised herself that she'd tell him tomorrow.

Without a word, Adrien lifted Marinette into his arms, bridal-style, and carried her upstairs to their room, intent on making love to her all night long.


	16. Chapter 16

The sound of rustling fabric dredged Marinette from her slumber before she had even opened her eyes. Cracking one blue orb open, she looked across the room to see Adrien dressing for work, standing in front of the full-length mirror on the wall with his back to her as he buttoned up the front of his collared shirt. A smile spread across her face at seeing her love in such a candid state, and she wanted nothing more than to cuddle him before he left for the day, remembering the way he had so tenderly made love to her the night before. It made her body warm all over, her nerves tingling from the phantoms of his caresses.

She rolled over lazily and reached towards him with a hand.

"Adrien," she croaked, her throat dry from sleep. "Come here and love me."

Adrien stilled briefly at the sound of her voice, before finishing up his buttons. He didn't look at nor move toward Marinette, but only disappeared into the bathroom without either addressing or acknowledging her; Marinette frowned.

Sitting up, Marinette scratched her head with one hand while she clutched the coverlet to her bare chest with the other. Maybe he hadn't heard her; surely he hadn't ignored her on purpose.

When the door opened once more and Adrien emerged, fully dressed and washed for the day, he still refused to look at her. He moved over to the window and stuffed his hands in his pockets, speaking to her from over his shoulder.

"Marinette, get dressed."

It wasn't a request, but a command. His voice sounded tired, but Marinette simply attributed it to the fact that neither of them had fallen asleep until long into the early morning hours.

"Are we going somewhere?" she inquired innocently.

Adrien didn't react to her question. "Just get dressed."

Cold tendrils of dread began to snake their way up Marinette's spine, but she shooed the bad premonitions away and rose from the bed. She chose an ivory-colored, peasant-style dress with long sleeves from the closet, anticipating cool weather for the day, and pulled it over her head. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she made her way over to Adrien, and grimaced at the sight of her tangled rat's nest of dark waves.

"Should I brush my hair?"

Adrien shrugged. "If you wish."

Seeing no reason not to, despite Adrien's odd demeanor, Marinette went into the bathroom and picked up her hairbrush from its spot on the vanity counter. She made quick work of the knots in her hair, until her blue-black hair fell in smooth, gleaming layers over her shoulders. She wondered what could be causing Adrien to act so aloof, until it hit her like a ton of bricks: the pregnancy test.

In a panic, she raced over to the metal trash bin beside the toilet and picked it up with both hands, shaking it lightly to sift its contents; sure enough, the used stick was still wrapped in bath tissue at the bottom of the bin, looking no more conspicuous than the rest of the tissues piled atop it. Could Adrien have searched through the bin for one reason or another and discovered it? As far as Marinette knew, the empty cardboard package was still in her purse. Perhaps Adrien had seen it and gone searching for the missing test. Perhaps he had found it, and now knew her secret.

And he was _angry_ with her about it.

Marinette leaned forward with both palms gripping the edge of the counter to keep herself from falling over. She knew that she would have had to tell him sooner or later, but she wanted it to be on her terms. Not like this.

At least a tiny part of her had been optimistic that Adrien would be elated at the prospect of possibly being a father. As far as she knew, even if Adrien _had_ really found the test, he had no clue that there was another man in the frame; he should be under the impression that any child Marinette carried was entirely his and his alone, which made his standoffish behavior even more concerning.

With trepidation, Marinette exited the bathroom and cleared her throat politely to inform Adrien of her presence behind him.

"Adrien," she started, twisting her fingers together nervously together in front of herself. "I don't know what happened between last night and this morning that has made you so unhappy, but I'm sure that I can–"

"I'm breaking up with you, Marinette."

Not sure if she had heard him correctly, Marinette worked her jaw for a few moments, opening and closing her mouth multiple times in succession as she struggled to respond.

When she finally spoke, her voice was small. "What did you say?"

"I'm breaking up with you," he repeated. "We're done."

In a flash of white, Marinette's world came crashing down around her. A deafening screech filled her ears, and she worried at first that it was her own voice, until she forced herself to focus and realized that she was standing perfectly immobile and silent.

"I don't understand," she bit out at last, the hurt evident in her voice. "Why?"

Heavy, salty tears welled in her eyes. They spilled over, falling unchecked down her cheeks before she could stop them. A joke. It must be a joke.

Adrien steeled his shoulders, still facing away from her. "We're just done."

"Was it something that I did?" she sobbed. She was crying now, but she didn't care; she was losing the man she loved, the love of her life, and she was powerless to stop it from happening.

Lurching forward, she threw her arms around Adrien's torso and squeezed herself flush against his back, as if by attaching herself to him physically he would have no choice but to stay with her.

"Is there anything I can do? I can fix it. Whatever it is. Please, Adrien, let's talk about this."

Adrien shook his head. "You've done nothing wrong and there's nothing that you can do to change it. It just… is what it is."

His explanations were vague and made no sense to Marinette. In fact, Marinette couldn't make sense of the situation at all. She held him tighter.

"What about when you told me that you would never let me go?" she whispered against his back, the fabric of his shirt damp with her tears. "Was that a lie?"

She could feel the way his body tensed at her accusation.

She sniffled. "Do you not love me anymore?"

 _Of course I still love you,_ Adrien wanted to shout. He wanted to spin around and kiss her senseless. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her and tell her everything, until he was red in the face and his voice was raw. The way that he was hurting her was killing him, but he couldn't let it show; if he let her see– even the _slightest_ bit– how much this was affecting him, then she'd never be able to move on. He needed her to believe that there was no chance of a future for them. That he was through with her for good. Only then could she be happy with another man; a man who hadn't fathered a child with another woman.

"There's someone else," he spat at last before pushing himself out of her hold and storming to the other side of the room, to the door. Without his support, Marinette crumpled to the floor in front of the window, clutching a hand over her own mouth to keep herself from screaming.

 _There's someone else._

Marinette felt hollow inside, as though there was a gaping hole where her heart had been. There was another woman in Adrien's life; that must have been the reason for his unexplained absence the previous night. He had been out being unfaithful to her.

She figured that she deserved it; she had been dishonest with him as well, and this is what she had received in return. Yet, she wasn't ready to lose him.

 _I'm pregnant,_ she wanted to yell. _I'm pregnant and it might be yours and you can't leave me!_

But she knew that she couldn't. She didn't know if he was the true father, anyway, and so he had no obligation to her; she couldn't trap him under such pretenses.

"Pack up your things and leave before I return at the end of the day," he instructed. The door shut behind him with a terrifying finality, the sound of it echoing around the otherwise quiet room.

Her mind and body numb, Marinette couldn't find the strength raise herself to her feet. She wanted to follow after him and chase him out of the house, confessing her love for him all the way, but what good would it do? His mind was obviously made up; he had replaced her. Or perhaps she had never truly had a place in his heart to begin with.

She shook her head in denial; Adrien wasn't cold and callous like that, but it was hard to believe when his actions had proved otherwise.

After taking a couple of hours to compose herself, Marinette raised herself from her spot on the floor, ignoring the way that her achy bones creaked and groaned from being in such an uncomfortable position for so long. It would do no good to wallow in self-pity in their bedroom any longer.

 _His bedroom,_ she corrected herself. _This isn't your home any longer. It never was, even if it may have felt that way._

She dragged her feet over to the closet and pulled down her suitcase from the upper shelf; it was the only thing she had brought with her when she had moved in with Adrien a month prior.

Stumbling around the room in a daze, probably looking as much like a zombie as she felt, Marinette gathered her meager belongings– some clothes, some makeup, her laptop, her toothbrush– and stashed them away in the suitcase, zipping it shut when she had packed everything. She slowly made her way down the stairs and to the foyer, feeling a fresh bout of tears prick at her lashes as she remembered all of the times with Adrien that she hoped that she would soon forget, and pushed herself out of the front door and into the harsh light of day.

–

Sabrina Raincomprix watched with morbid curiosity from the street corner as Marinette Dupain-Cheng appeared on the sidewalk from the gate to the Agreste mansion, lugging a suitcase behind her. It was apparent that she had been crying, as her swollen cheeks and puffy eyes were evidence enough of that, and her face was drawn and sad as she made her way to the curb to call a cab.

Excitedly, Sabrina whipped out her phone and dialed a number. It rang once before someone picked up.

" _This better be good,_ " a feminine voice growled on the other end.

"Oh, it is," Sabrina assured her. "I've just seen Marinette Dupain-Cheng moving out of Adrien's house with _tears_ in her eyes. She has a suitcase and everything."

The mysterious voice gasped. "You don't mean to say that they broke up?"

Sabrina nodded, even though the person she had called couldn't see it through the phone. "That, or they got in a fight or something. Either way, Marinette must have some pretty _strong_ negative emotions right now."

The feminine voice laughed maliciously. "Oh, this is just _perfect_."

There was a lengthy pause, and Sabrina watched with excited intent, waiting for the moment that Marinette would transform. Minutes passed in uneventful peace. Frowning, Sabrina's excitement dissipated when a cab rolled up to where Marinette stood, still looking as drab and normal as ever; none the wiser to Sabrina's presence, the dark-haired woman put her luggage in the trunk and climbed into the backseat of the taxi before it took off down the street.

"What are you waiting for?" Sabrina hissed into the receiver. "Nothing happened, and now she's gone!"

"I can't see her anywhere," the voice fumed. "Are you _lying_ to me, Sabrina? Is this some sort of joke?"

"No! I swear, she was absolutely _miserable_. If she and Adrien broke up, then surely you can sense her negative emotions and akumatize her!"

"I can't sense her negative emotions," the voice explained in a venomous tone. "In fact, I can't sense Marinette's presence at all, just like the night of the reunion."

"What do you mean?" Sabrina snapped, growing angry. "I _just saw her_ and she's _definitely_ heartbroken. Now's your chance! If you don't akumatize her now, then you'll miss this opportunity, and you'll blame it on me like you always do!"

"How dare you speak to me that way," the voice on the other line snarled. "Well, then, I suppose that _you_ will just have to take her place so that we don't _miss_ _this opportunity_."

"Please, no, not again–"

Before Sabrina could finish her protest, she felt something dark and sinister wash over her, clouding her mind until she could think of nothing but hunting down Marinette Dupain-Cheng and squishing her like a bug.

"It's finally time to put all of your training to the test," the voice laughed evilly, as The Apprehender sprang into action.

–

 **A/N: *holds out tissue box for all of my readers***


	17. Chapter 17

"Are you sure that breaking up with Marinette was the way to go?" Plagg asked between bites of Camembert cheese, his words muffled by the fullness of his mouth. He swallowed the remainder with an audible gulp. "I mean, I'm pretty sure that she would have understood the situation if you had simply _told_ her."

Adrien shook his head sadly. He was sitting in his studio in the back of GABRIEL + EMILIE, trying to come up with design concepts to take his mind off of the events of the morning, but it didn't appear to be working. He stared longingly at the empty workbench across the room and felt a fresh wound tear across his aching heart; it was the table where Marinette should have been working beside him, as his partner.

"After all that I've put her through over the years… I couldn't bear the thought of putting her through even more pain and heartbreak by admitting that I might be having a child with a woman I barely know." His expression was solemn. "She deserves better. _Much_ better."

"So, you broke her heart, to avoid hurting her?" The tiny black cat kwami rolled his eyes. "That makes sense."

"It'll hurt less this way," he murmured, drawing circles on the tabletop with his finger, no longer able to focus on his work. "She'll be able to move on and find a guy who can give her everything she wants. The last thing she needs is to deal with me and my baggage."

"And what if this prodigal child ends up _not_ being yours?"

Truth be told, Adrien hadn't thought that far ahead, but he didn't want to bank on the possibility. If there was a chance that Ladybug's baby might be his to begin with, then he had to act the part and see it through in its entirety, all the way to the bittersweet end.

Even if they could prove without a doubt that the child was _not_ his, he wouldn't be able to crawl back into Marinette's life and beg for her to take him back. His behavior had been inexcusable, and he'd only be hurting her again by re-entering her life just as she had begun to heal.

At least he had gotten to experience one last night with her. It was selfish of him to take advantage of her in such a way, but he knew that he'd never love anyone the way he had loved Marinette ever again. She had fully opened herself up to him– body, heart, and soul– and loved him in a way that he'd never been loved in all of his twenty-eight years, and never would be again. He'd never meet another woman as loving and trusting as her.

For the rest of his life, he'd be able to look back on his time with Marinette, drawing light from the memories to be able to find the will to go on, even on his darkest days.

When Adrien didn't respond, Plagg only sighed. "I really don't understand you silly humans sometimes."

Foreseeing that no more work would get done that day, Adrien begrudgingly locked up the store and stepped out into the bright Parisian day. He took a moment to admire the Seine, it's calm surface hiding a dark and tumultuous current beneath; it was a perfect metaphor for how he felt himself.

As he stood on the sidewalk, his hands in his pockets, the sound of distant screams gradually reached his ears, growing louder and louder. Instantly on alert, Adrien whipped towards the sound; Plagg zipped out to investigate, sniffing the air. He sensed evil nearby.

"Another one of Hawk Moth's akumatized villains," he squeaked, pointing a tiny claw towards the next arrondissement over. "There!"

Adrien clenched a fist and bared his teeth; it had been over a month since their last encounter with a villain. Why now?

Perhaps doling out an ass-kicking was just what he needed to distract himself from mourning over his lost love. At least temporarily.

"Plagg, claws out!"

In a flash, Adrien transformed into Cat Noir, and he raced towards the source of the commotion, ready to fight. He ran against the grain of panicked, scattering Parisians, utilizing his heightened hearing to pick up on the villain's precise location.

He found his opponent easily, standing in the middle of the sunny intersection, not far from Tom and Sabine's bakery. He was clad head-to-toe in black combat gear, with a reflective visor covering his face; he looked more akin to a super soldier than one of Hawk Moth's minions.

"I am The Apprehender," the surprisingly feminine voice recited in a monotonous, robotic tone. "Bring me Marinette Dupain-Cheng so that I may bring her to my master."

Adrien's eyes widened. What could she possibly want with Marinette? And why did all of Hawk Moth's latest villains only go after her, anyway?

There wasn't time to think on it. Marinette was in trouble, and he had to stop The Apprehender before she could follow through on her promise to whisk Marinette away. He thought briefly that he should call Ladybug for back up, but quickly rejected the idea; she was pregnant, and the fewer risks that she had to take, the better. Even if that meant giving up her mantle as Ladybug.

"Hey you!" Cat Noir shouted, extending his staff and assuming a battle stance. "If you want Marinette, then you're going to have to go through _me_ first!"

The Apprehender turned towards the sound of his voice. Without warning, she pointed a fist in his direction, letting a barrage of explosive projectiles shoot forth from her knuckles. The missiles exploded around Adrien as he tried to dance around them all, dodging this way and that, but he lost his footing and took a particularly hard direct blow. The force of it sent him flying back over a hundred yards, and he landed painfully on his side on the asphalt at the end of the street. Fresh pain blossomed all over his body and he knew that he had been hit bad.

This villain was powerful. _Abnormally_ powerful. Still, Adrien refused to call Ladybug. He couldn't allow her to put herself in danger, not when she was potentially carrying his child.

Utilizing all of his willpower, Cat Noir wiped the blood from the side of his mouth and pushed himself to his feet and resumed his battle stance, ready and eager for another round– ready to welcome the physical pain to detract his attention from his perpetual emotional turmoil.

–

Marinette sighed for the umpteenth time that day as her crying slowed and her breathing returned to normal. She was lying face down on her bed, hugging her pillow to herself tightly, as she had many time during her teenage years. Her suitcase still sat by the door, unpacked, but she knew that she'd inevitably have to get it done.

Her parents had welcomed her back home with open arms and sad smiles, no explanation required. She hadn't even told them yet that she was pregnant; they'd despise Adrien even more if they knew that he had put her out while she was with child, a child that could very well be his.

But what they didn't know was that she hadn't told him, and so he had no idea. At least, he hadn't known until he had found her pregnancy test in the trash. It made her feel even more certain that she deserved Adrien's coldness towards her. She had deceived him, after all.

Needing a breath of air, Marinette stood on her bed and opened the skylight to her balcony, pulling herself up into the daylight. The sun felt warm and comforting on her skin, like an embrace, despite the cool nip on the breeze. As soon as she was fully out, however, her ears were assaulted by a sudden circus of noise; it was the sound of a battle happening over a block away. She peered towards the direction of the noise and could just make out a tall, villainous-looking super soldier advancing on a familiar black-clad superhero.

"Cat Noir!" Marinette gasped, all thoughts of Adrien instantaneously replaced by concern for her partner. "Tikki, we have to help."

The tiny kwami flew out from her hiding spot and nodded. "Let's do this."

"Tikki, spots on!"

As soon as she had transformed, Ladybug jumped from her balcony, swinging down street after street until she reached the city center where Cat Noir was squaring off with Hawk smith's latest villain one-on-one. She swooped down just in time to kick a large bazooka out of the villains hold, sending the weapon skidding across the street and out of reach.

"Ladybug?" Cat Noir shouted, astonished, when she dropped to land right in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to fight to the baddies with you, Kitty," she said with a smirk. "You didn't think that you could keep all the fun for yourself, did you?"

Cat Noir didn't return her playful banter. "Go home, Ladybug. You shouldn't be here."

The sternness in his voice shook Marinette to her core.

"Cat, what are you–"

The Apprehender took her chance to take aim at Marinette from behind her, but Cat Noir sprang into action, tackling Ladybug as carefully as he could and rolling her out of the way of a powerful blast. They landed on the sidewalk on the other side of the street with Cat Noir on top, pinning his lady beneath him.

"Let me handle this," he instructed. "Stay out of my way."

Marinette frowned. "No way! I'm going to help."

Gripping both of her wrists in his gloved hands, he lifted them before slamming them back on the ground to emphasize his point, causing Marinette to squeak out of surprise rather than pain.

"You want to help? Go somewhere safe and _stay there_. I can't risk you getting hurt."

His eyes inadvertently travelled to her midsection, and Marinette put the pieces together.

"You think I can't fight now that I'm _pregnant?_ " she scoffed. "News flash, Cat: I'm pregnant– not _dead_."

"Not dead _yet_. But if you stay here and try to fight, then you– you–"

Cat Noir seemed to notice for the first time how bloodshot her eyes were, and he cocked his head.

"Have you been crying?"

Marinette opened her mouth to answer, but a rumbling beneath them indicated that The Apprehender was back on the move, booking it towards the bakery.

Cat Noir leapt to his feet and Ladybug followed suit.

"She wants Marinette," he explained. "You stay here. I'll go after her and make sure that Marinette is safe."

Marinette felt her body warm at the concern that Cat Noir had for her civilian identity; if only she could tell him, here and now, who she was, then they could defeat The Apprehender much more easily. If she was truly pregnant with his child, then she'd have to tell him soon enough, anyway.

Marinette shook her head. _No, now is not the time. We'll have to try to beat this villain the best that we can._

"Just try and stop me," Ladybug snarked as she threw her yo-yo, swinging away before Cat Noir could stop her.

She cut off The Apprehender at the street in front of the bakery and was about to wrap the villain in the string of her yo-yo, when masculine hands were suddenly wrapping around her arms, snatching her back and away from the source of the danger.

She glanced up to see Cat Noir pulling her out of harm's way.

"Stubborn ass," she huffed under her breath.

"I _told_ you to stay out of danger," he said flatly as the pair disappeared into an alley. He finally let her go when they were out of sight of The Apprehender, and Marinette leaned back against the rough brick of the building wall with her arms crossed, scowling at him.

"Why won't you let me help you?" she demanded.

"Because you'll only get in my way."

"That's not true, and you know it!" She stomped her foot in frustration. "You can't defeat Hawk Moth's villain alone. You need me."

When he spun around to face her, Marinette noticed the darkness in his eyes as his hands came up to grip her shoulders.

"Yes, I _need_ you," he stated in a low voice. It frightened Marinette to see him so intense; his face was close enough to hers that she could feel his hot breath on her skin and shuddered. "That's why I need you to stay out of sight, out of harm's way. My child– my own flesh and blood– may be growing inside of you, and you… you…"

He swallowed thickly and glanced down at his feet. "I've already lost someone I love today. I can't lose you too, my Lady."

That explained his odd behavior; he was hurting. Marinette could only relate all too well. Her expression softened and she straightened her back off of the wall, uncrossing her arms to reach out a hand to tip his chin up to face her; his eyes met hers, and Marinette felt her heart skip a beat at the contact.

"You _won't_ lose me," she promised. "I'm with you until the end. But I need you to trust me. We need to work together."

The double meaning of her words was not lost on either of them; they applied to the battle at hand as much as they applied to their future parental partnership. A terse moment passed between them before Cat reluctantly nodded his acquiescence, allowing his hands to drop from her shoulders. The urge to kiss him overcame Marinette, a strange and foreign feeling that she had never experienced before, but she attributed it to the adrenaline of the fight along with her changing hormones and tumultuous emotional state and thought nothing else of it.

"Now," she started, tossing her yo-yo up into the air for good measure. "How about we take care of that baddie? _Together_."

With a mutual exchange of nods, the pair sprinted out of the alleyway and back into the street, finding themselves at an advantage; The Apprehender was hovering above the ground on jet-powered boots, peering into the windows of the apartment above the bakery with her back to the superheroes, oblivious to their presence.

"Cat, the boots!"

"On it," Cat replied with a grin, readying his Cataclysm as he raced forward, claws outstretched. He leapt up and swiped at the jet-powered boots in one swift move, destroying the mechanisms that kept The Apprehender afloat and knocking her out of the air.

"Lucky Charm!" Marinette cried, tossing her yo-yo above her head. It spun and erupted in a bright, blinding light; within moments, it turned into a bottle of glue, which fell directly into Marinette's upturned palms.

"A bottle of glue?"

She blinked at the random object curiously, before taking in the scene surrounding her. The Apprehender was picking herself up from the pavement, with Cat Noir standing in front of her, his staff extended and ready to beat her back down. The villain flashed red in her vision, followed by Cat's staff, and Marinette knew in an instant what she had to do.

"Cat!" she shouted. "Batter up!"

Cat Noir assumed a batting stance, holding his staff like a baseball bat, just as The Apprehender roared to life; a sound like charging electricity coursed from the villain in tangible waves as she readied her next barrage of missiles, and Marinette wasted no time in chucking the bottle of glue as hard as she could towards her. Cat swung and made contact easily, causing the bottle to explode in mid-air; the tacky substance splattered over every surface of the evil super soldier, plugging every single barrel and mortar with glue, clogging her weapons systems.

Marinette was about to cheer in celebration, when she realized too late that– despite being covered in sticky glue– The Apprehender was still going to try to fire her weapons.

And Cat was close enough to her to be caught in the blast.

"Look out!" Marinette shrieked as she pitched forward, hands outstretched towards her partner, just as The Apprehender exploded in a burst of fire and sparks, engulfing both Cat Noir and Ladybug in the backfire.


	18. Chapter 18

As she came to, Marinette was acutely aware of a ringing in her ears and a throbbing at the back of her skull. She found it difficult to breathe, as though there was a weight pressing down on her chest. With effort, she peeled her dusty eyes open and looked down to see an unconscious Cat Noir sprawled across her body; she had survived The Apprehender's blast, but only because she had been protected by him, shielded from the explosion by Cat's cocooning embrace.

Fear coursed through her at the sight of him so still, alighting her nerves and reigniting her adrenaline.

"Cat." She shook him cautiously, but with a sense of urgency. "Kitty, wake up. Please wake up."

He didn't move or otherwise respond to her plea. On his ring finger, his Miraculous beeped once and began to flash, warning that he would be transforming back soon. Marinette herself knew that she was on borrowed time as well. Glancing around, she could see the destruction caused by The Apprehender's implosion; the front door of her parents' bakery had been blown clear away, leaving a gaping hole in the facade of the building. A sinking feeling fell into the bottom of her gut like a rock, as worry for her parents began to gnaw at her bones. Bits of concrete and rubble littered the street, and there was a car-sized crater in the pavement where The Apprehender used to be. No physical trace of the villain remained. In the distance, sirens blared.

Pushing herself up on her elbows, she shook Cat Noir once again. Tears welled in her eyes; she was suddenly terrified that he'd never wake up.

"Cat, please. _Please_. Don't leave me. You _can't_ leave me."

At last, a pained moan escaped him, and Marinette let out a relieved sob at the sound. He rolled off of her and tried to hoist himself up, but his arms collapsed under his own weight; he must have taken more damage than he had initially surmised. A trickle of bright red blood seeped from a cut above his mask, trailing down the side of his face to his jaw.

"Don't overexert yourself," Marinette warned, shifting her position to help her partner sit up. "How do you feel? Any broken bones?"

Dazed, Cat Noir shook his head, grunting when the motion caused a searing pain to flash across his vision. "Don't worry about me, my Lady. Are _you_ alright?"

"Yes, thanks to you. Just a few bumps and scratches. Nothing too bad."

"And… the baby?"

"I think that the baby will be fine." Marinette felt warm despite the chill in the air. "You protected us well. You saved us."

Cat Noir started to sigh in relief when his green eyes suddenly snapped wide open; he whipped his head this way and that, his focus darting around to take in the dystopian scene surrounding them.

"Wait, where'd The Apprehender go? Did we defeat her?"

Marinette lifted and dropped her shoulders. "I have no idea. One minute she was right there, and then the next…"

"Was she killed in the explosion?"

"I'm not sure. I don't see any of sign of her."

He leapt to his feet suddenly as he remembered the reason for The Apprehender's appearance in the first place. "Marinette!"

On uncooperative, unsteady legs, he ran towards the bakery, disappearing inside the open facade faster than Marinette could get to her feet to follow him.

"She's not there! Cat, wait!"

She tried to call after her partner, but her attempts were in vain; he was already out of earshot. Her earrings sang out another warning as they lost another spot, leaving her with only two left on each. Marinette ran after him, and couldn't help but to groan her eyes at the absurdity of the situation; if she could only confess her true identity to Cat, then he wouldn't have the need to go searching for her.

Marinette entered the dusty building to find Cat already gone, and she presumed that he had raced up the stairs to the apartment above the bakery. Upon hearing her footsteps, her mother and father cautiously crawled out from their hiding spot behind the counter, where they had huddled to protect themselves from The Apprehender's blast. Marinette was relieved to see that they were alright; they were shaken, but relatively unhurt.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked them, resisting the urge to run into their arms and wrap them up in an emotional hug.

"Yes, but our daughter…" Sabine whimpered, her gaze traveling towards the stairs.

Marinette shook her head. "Don't worry, I saw her leave the building long before The Apprehender ever got here."

Placing a hand against her chest, as though by doing so she could calm the rapid, panicked beating of her heart, her mother nodded her understanding.

"I think my partner went upstairs. He's a bit disoriented from the explosion." Marinette awkwardly shuffled on her feet, unsure of how to ask for permission to go up to her own room. "Do you mind if I go after him?"

Her father nodded. "Absolutely, Ladybug. Do what you must. And thank you."

Marinette returned his nod before she sprinted up both sets of stairs to her bedroom, pushing her way through the trap door to find Cat Noir sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. Sensing the darkness of his aura, she leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms to allow him some space, eyeing him with thinly-veiled concern.

"I thought I'd find you in here licking your wounds." Her eyes softened. "Are you alright?"

"Marinette isn't here." His voice was laced with a tragic sort of fear that tugged at Marinette's heartstrings; he looked absolutely miserable, and it made her pity him, momentarily forgetting her own misery. "I don't know where she is… I don't know if she's in danger, or if the Apprehender has her, or if she's with… with another..."

Unable to finish his thought– whatever it was– he squeezed his head tighter in his clawed grip. It concerned Marinette to see him in such a state of distress of her missing civilian self; she had never realized that Cat Noir cared so deeply for her. They had run into each other on a handful of occasions throughout the years, but she had always presumed that that was the extent of their acquaintanceship; as far as she knew, he had only ever loved her as Ladybug.

 _And he may even still._

The thought caused her heart to skip a beat.

"I saw her leave a while ago," Marinette said, repeating the same lie she had told to her parents. "She wasn't in the building when The Apprehender attacked. I'm sure of it. So, don't worry, okay?"

Relief played across Cat's face, but it was a bittersweet expression.

"Let's see if we can get you cleaned up. Okay, Kitty Cat?"

When he didn't respond, Marinette pushed off of the doorframe and made her way down the hall to the bathroom to fetch her family's first aid kit from the cabinet beneath the sink. She hoped that Cat Noir wouldn't question why she was helping herself to the Dupain-Chengs' personal things, or how she even knew of its location in the first place.

She returned to the bedroom and kneeled on the floor before her injured partner; he hadn't moved an inch nor shifted positions in the minute she was gone.

With careful hands, Marinette cleaned the wound above his eye, wiping away the drying streaks of blood around his mask with an antiseptic wipe. Once she was satisfied that the bleeding had stopped, she pinched the edges of the cut together and secured the torn flesh with a butterfly bandage; the gash wasn't deep, but it would most likely leave a faint scar in its wake once it was healed.

"There," Marinette murmured once she was finished, pulling back to admire her handiwork. "You may end up with a small scar, but at least now it should heal properly."

Cat Noir straightened up slightly, lifting his eyes to meet her gaze. He stared at her for a moment before opening his mouth to say something, but seemingly decided against it when he pressed his lips together into a flat line. With a sigh through his nostrils, he rose to his feet, readying himself to leave.

"I should go," he said dumbly. "And I'm sure that your man is wondering where you are. I shouldn't keep you."

Marinette raised herself to stand and shuffled awkwardly on her feet. "I don't... _have_ a man. Not anymore, anyway."

Cat regarded her severely before speaking. "What do you mean?"

Marinette shrugged, feeling the tears that pricked at her lashes, threatening to fall at the mere thought of Adrien. "He… he left me."

"He _what?_ " A visible course of rage rippled through Cat Noir, tensing his muscles. "He left you, pregnant and alone, to fend for yourself?"

Marinette didn't know for sure whether or not Adrien knew that she was pregnant, but she felt too ashamed to say so out loud. Cat mistook her quietness for confirmation and clenched his fist at his side, his mouth twisting in disgust.

"What kind of coward leaves a woman who might be pregnant with his child?" he spat. "Tell me who he is and I'll go sock the bastard myself. I'll drag him by the ear all the way to your door and force him to do right by you."

Marinette's heart thumped at his passionate declarations. Was Cat truly so protective of her? And was such behavior the result of some deeper feelings for her, or just a misguided sense of honor? She wondered if Cat had a wife or girlfriend or lover of his own; if he did, he had never mentioned her. Ten years had passed since Ladybug and Cat Noir had roamed the streets of rooftops of Paris together as partners; surely there was no possible way that Cat could still be harboring romantic feelings for his Lady after so much time apart.

He may have been infatuated with her superhero alter ego once upon a time, but Marinette assumed that only mere infatuation was as deep as his emotions for her went.

"What about your lady?" Marinette asked as she rubbed her arms, desperate to turn the topic away from herself and her ex-lover. "Do you have someone special waiting for you at home?"

Cat was about to answer her when the sudden and incessant beeping of his ring interrupted him; it was the final signal that he was about to change back within the minute.

"You should go." Marinette nodded to emphasize her point, offering him a half-hearted smile to prove that she would be alright if he went; even though she knew that he had to go, she felt as though she didn't want to miss him just yet. "Until next time, Kitty Cat."

His eyes met hers then, green piercing blue, and Marinette's breath caught in her throat. Was he looking at her... with longing? Marinette was surprised to find that a similar feeling was simmering inside of her, just beneath her skin; once Cat left, she'd be alone again. She didn't have Adrien anymore. She didn't have even have Luka. She didn't have anyone.

Cat climbed onto the bed to leave, reaching up to unlock the latch that secured the trap door above Marinette's bed, but paused. He seemed hesitant to go, and Marinette cocked her head at him as she watched his indecision play out across his face. Her own Miraculous began to beep its final warning in melodious harmony with his.

"Cat? What are you–"

In one swift movement, Cat turned back to face her and leapt down from the bed; he pulled her flush against him and smashed his lips to hers in a shocking kiss. Marinette was too stunned to respond or reciprocate, and so she stood there, numb, as Cat manipulated her mouth with his own.

"Kiss me, my Lady," he murmured against the soft pink flesh of her lips, and Marinette obliged, her hazy mind shifting to autopilot as her body decided to function without her by reciprocating her partner's kiss.

Time around them seemed to slow until it stopped completely. Even the twin sounds of the beeping Miraculouses seemed to cease, leaving Marinette's mind whirring with white noise, her brain struggling to catch up to what her lips were doing so that it could register the repercussions of such a self-indulgent act.

She was kissing Cat Noir. The same day that she had lost the love of her life for good. And she was _enjoying_ it. Cat's soft, plush lips were a temporary reprieve from her pain; she found herself wanting her black-clad partner to comfort her further, in ways that she had never dared or allowed herself to even dream about. She wanted him to fill the void left behind by Adrien's departure from her life by divesting her of her clothes, before laying her down on the bed behind them and nestling himself between her legs.

Marinette broke the kiss and let out a sob as the gravity of their predicament hit her full-force in the gut, knocking the air from her lungs. "Cat, stop. We can't do this."

"Why not?"

"I can't. It's– it's too soon."

"We could be together," Cat whispered. The intensity in his green eyes frightened Marinette. "We could both be parents to your child. _Our_ child. We could try to be happy. We could be a _family_."

Rage bubbled and boiled in Marinette's veins, replacing the adrenaline-fueled arousal that had started to burn within her blood only a moment earlier. She wanted to slap him out of anger, or fall into his arms crying, or even possibly do both in succession.

"How dare you," she hissed. Her Miraculous continued to ring its alarm and she knew that she only had seconds left; Cat had even less time. "How dare you play with my emotions like this, Cat. This isn't fair."

"Trust me. Let me show you who I really am– my secret identity," he begged. "Let's try to make this work. Let's show each other who we really are."

"You're not thinking straight," Marinette countered. She felt the tears that burned along her lash line; she felt humiliated and ashamed and wanted nothing more than for Cat to disappear from her sight immediately. "You need to go. _Go!_ "

With both palms, she shoved against Cat's chest roughly, hard enough to send him staggering backwards. He scowled, but turned and jumped up through the skylight without another word or look back at Ladybug, escaping just in the nick of time before he transformed.

After waiting out the final seconds of her countdown to be sure that Cat was well and truly gone, Marinette allowed herself to turn back into her normal self. She wasted no time in collapsing onto her bed with a hand clasped to her chest, trying to still her pounding heart as she wondered how the hell she was going to be able to process the new and confusing emotions that Cat had stirred up inside of her.

–

"You failed," came a feminine voice from the darkness, her face eclipsed by shadows.

The edge of disappointment in her master's tone cut through Sabrina like a knife, and she found herself inadvertently cowering at the prospect of her forthcoming punishment.

"I-I'm sorry," the shorter woman squeaked, ducking her head low to show her subservience; her ginger hair was matted with blood and her left arm hung limply at her side, as though it were broken. "I don't know what happened, Cat Noir and Ladybug were there and–"

In a burst of rage, the taller woman threw her half-empty glass of Merlot at the woman bowing before her; it missed hitting Sabrina by mere inches, shattering against the gray marble wall behind her in an explosion of glass and wine that caused Sabrina to flinch with a shriek.

"Don't you think that I _know_ that?" she spat. "I saw everything that _you_ saw!"

"Y-yes, of course."

Sabrina's master clicked her tongue. "Luckily for you, we learned some _very_ valuable information today."

Sabrina blinked, puzzled by the declaration. "What information?"

"All in good time," the voice assured her. "We just have a few more things to be sure of before we can act. But I have a plan to ensnare Marinette and Adrien– _and_ Ladybug and Cat Noir– once and for all."

The orange-haired woman gulped.

–

 **A/N: I may have to rewrite this chapter in the future, but I just wanted to get it done and out there. I'm sorry it took so long. I definitely haven't abandoned this fic (or any of my fics), I'm just going through some stuff in my personal/romantic life that is definitely making it tough to be inspired write. But the Final Act (Act IV) is next! Thank you all for your reviews, they mean so much to me and keep me going when I feel like giving up.**


	19. Chapter 19

_Three years earlier_

–

 _Marinette fought the urge to sigh. From her seat at the front of the hall, such a rude gesture would be obvious to everyone in attendance. It wasn't that she was bored or upset with the scene playing out before her; rather, she felt wistful._

 _To be sure, she was over the moon with happiness for her friends. Alya and Nino had each found their soulmates in one another, and had committed themselves to each other for the rest of their lives with declarations of love and devotion in front of their friends and family earlier that day at the old church in Lyon. But Marinette couldn't help but feel that she'd never find that same kind of love for herself. A love that was perfect, secure– or even reciprocated to begin with._

 _Nino looked dashing in a crisp white tuxedo, which nicely complemented Alya's own mermaid-style gown as he twirled her gently around the dance floor. It was their first dance as husband and wife, and there wasn't a dry eye in the room; Marinette herself felt like crying, although for entirely different reasons. She had to tell herself that it was just the wine making her emotional._

 _When the song ended and Nino kissed his new wife, Marinette politely clapped along with the rest of the room until the next song started up. The deejay invited all of the other couples in attendance to join the bride and groom on the dance floor for a slow dance, and Marinette took that as her cue to slink off to the bar for another drink._

 _She rose from her seat and brushed off the taupe-colored crepe of her bridesmaid gown, following the wall of the venue until she reached the open bar at the back of the room. She ordered another glass of Cabernet, and when the bartender turned away from her to fetch the bottle she finally released the pent-up sigh she had been holding in, leaning into the bartop on her elbows with her forearms folded over themselves. A stemmed goblet appeared before her in no time and she managed a long sip of the deep, bittersweet liquid before bowing her head and closing her eyes for a moment to clear her head._

 _As the notes of the music drifted to her ears, Marinette realized that she knew the song; it was a tune from her adolescent days– the first song that she had ever slow danced with a boy to. Not just any boy, either. A boy with golden hair and stunning green eyes._

 _The memory made her head swim._

 _Subconsciously, she sighed again and took another swig from her glass of wine._

" _No dance partner?"_

 _Marinette's head snapped up at hearing a familiar voice speak. She looked to her side to see Luka Couffaine standing a few feet down the bar, nursing his own alcoholic beverage, and her heart leapt at the sight of his face. Nearly a decade had passed since she had seen him last, and he was even more striking than she remembered._

 _He gave her a friendly wave._

" _Luka," Marinette said stupidly, trying to find her words. She felt a blush creep to her cheeks and was suddenly unsure of what to do with her hands; she opted for tucking a stray lock of blue-black hair behind her ear as she averted her gaze to the bottles of liquor stacked behind the bar._

" _Marinette," Luka chuckled in response, teasing her with his expression as he took a drink from his glass. The decorative metal rings on his fingers clinked against the crystal when he held it in his grip, the sound melodic and soothing. Marinette could see that he had gotten some new finger tattoos since high school; a honeybee on the first knuckle of his pinky finger, and what looked like a series of Celtic or Nordic runes inked along the other digits. Any other skin art that he may have had was hidden by the material of his fitted black suit. Marinette caught herself wondering what else he was hiding beneath his clothes._

 _Even with the tattoos, he still had very attractive hands. In fact, Marinette thought, the tattoos served to enhance the attractiveness._

 _It took her too long to realize that she was staring at his fingers. Luka noticed._

" _So, uh," Luka started, swirling the contents of his drink around in the glass. "Where's Loverboy?"_

 _Marinette shot him a quizzical expression. "Who?"_

" _The Agreste kid." Luka's face darkened slightly. "I haven't seen him."_

 _Marinette felt a tightening sensation in her chest, like a fist squeezing her heart. She turned away from him, focusing her watery gaze on her wine instead._

" _He, uh, he couldn't make it. Alya said he had a prior commitment. Work or something like that."_

" _Oh, so he's not here?" Luka seemed to consider the new information thoughtfully. "You two are an item, right?"_

 _Swallowing thickly, Marinette shook her head. She hadn't seen Adrien since the night his father died. As far as she knew, he was still "an item" with Chloe Bourgeois and that would never change. At least not for the foreseeable future._

 _Hell, he had even missed Alya and Nino's wedding just to avoid seeing her. They were as far from being an item as universally possible._

" _No. Actually, I haven't seen Adrien in years, but I hear he's doing well."_

 _Luka raised an eyebrow. "Hm. I would've thought that you two would've been all cozied up and playing house together by now."_

" _Sorry to disappoint," Marinette replied, a bit more bitterly than she intended. She downed the remainder of her wine in a single gulp._

 _Picking up on her distress, Luka ordered another glass on her behalf, along with a round of amaretto shots. He handed one of the little glasses of amber liquid to Marinette, who took it from him gratefully. When her fingers brushed his, she shuddered at the contact._

" _To love," Luka toasted, his intense turquoise eyes burning into her as he ticked his head in the direction of the happy twosomes filling the dance floor._

 _Marinette returned the toast and threw the sweet, almond-flavored liqueur down her gusset, relishing in the burn as the heat pooled in the pit of her abdomen._

 _When the liquor had settled and she came to once more, Marinette turned to see that Luka hadn't taken his eyes off of her._

" _What is it?" Marinette giggled. The alcohol had already started to take its toll, coursing through through her veins and making her limbs feel heavy and loose._

" _You're a funny girl, Mari," he said, giving her a handsome, tight-lipped smile. "You know that?"_

–

 _Act IV_

 _Five months after the reunion_

–

Marinette let out a breath and wiped the perspiration off of her forehead with the back of her hand, leaving a streak of dusty white flour across her eyebrows in its wake. The local elementary school needed ten dozen _petits pains au chocolat_ by lunchtime for some bake sale they were hosting, and so Marinette had been slaving away in front of the ovens of her parents bakery since before the sun was up.

Not that she was complaining; she liked to keep herself occupied as much as possible. Besides her own work for the fashion magazine, she helped her parents whenever the opportunity arose to keep her days full. The mindless work was a nice distraction from her thoughts.

The echo of heavy footfalls announced the arrival of a new person to the bakery. Marinette turned around to see her father, Tom, standing just inside from the doorway to her family's apartment.

"Marinette," he said in greeting, his voice lighthearted but weary with sleep. "You're up early."

He was right; outside, the sun had only just broken over the Parisian skyline. The bakery wasn't even open for business for the day yet.

"I wanted to get a head start on these pastries for the school," she explained, wiping her powdery hands on the protruding front of her apron. "Not that I can get much sleep anyway with Little Marinette kicking me as hard as she can all of the time."

She patted her stomach for emphasis; she didn't actually know if it was a boy or girl, but either way, she already loved her child dearly.

"I appreciate the help," Tom chuckled, admiring her progress. "You don't have any of your own work to do?"

Marinette shook her head and lifted a pan of _petits pains_ that were ready for the oven. "Nope. I finished my assignment for the week so I have today off. I was going to catch up on some stuff and shop for baby things with Alya."

"Well, I'll take over from here so that you can start getting ready." Her father reached out and took the pan from her, leaving no room for negotiation.

Not that Marinette would protest. She was eternally grateful to her parents for allowing her to move back home after her falling out with Adrien. Although she had initially moved back to Paris with the intention of buying a home for herself, her whirlwind romance and unexpected pregnancy had thrown a wrench in those plans, and she appreciated the extra help that having the support of her family would bring when the baby arrived.

Thinking about her child, she absentmindedly brought a hand to her stomach and rubbed the not-so-subtle swell there, feeling the pang of sadness that usually accompanied thoughts of what would happen once the baby arrived. She still didn't know who his or her father was, and although Cat Noir had offered to fill the role some months earlier, she had yet to make a final decision on the matter and they hadn't discussed the issue since.

Truth be told, her partner had been cold and aloof since she– disguised as Ladybug– had rejected him after their impassioned kiss in Marinette's bedroom, shortly after defeating The Apprehender. She had seen him a handful of times since then, battling the new Hawk Moth's villains as they appeared, but they rarely spoke to one another.

To make matters worse, the attacks were random. There was no discernible pattern in how the akumatized victims were chosen, and they left no impactful clues in their wake. They were no closer to discovering the new Hawk Moth's true identity than Marinette was to figuring out who the father of her child was.

She had so many problems, and no solutions in sight for any of them. But there was no point worrying about it now; she could deal with everything later.

"Thanks, Dad." Marinette stood up on her toes and pecked a kiss on his stubbly cheek before heading up to her room to wash the flour out of her hair and ready herself for the day.

–

Alya slammed both hands palms down on the tabletop, causing the silverware to clatter and startling the other diners around them. It was a chilly autumn day, and so they were sitting inside of the cafe rather than on the sidewalk patio, but the interior containment did little to dampen Alya's excitement.

"Girl, have I got _news_ for you."

Marinette let out a laugh. "I bet you do."

Alya grinned, leaning in closer to her friend from across the bistro table.

"So, you know that I've been keeping tabs on everyone since the reunion, right?"

Marinette nodded to show that she was listening, sipping from her glass of mineral water. She felt slightly nauseous, which had been happening on and off since she had conceived, and rubbed a hand over the front of her gray sweater to try to ease her stomach. Her best friend had started to show as well, but from the stories they'd swapped it was clear that Alya was having a much smoother time with pregnancy than Marinette was.

Having a dedicated partner in her husband as well was definitely a perk that Marinette was envious of.

"I did a little investigating, and you won't _believe_ what I found out." Alya clasped her hands together and grinned even wider, basking in the suspense that she was creating. "Not only did you and I conceive while under the effects of Witchkraft's spell, but _Mylene_ as well."

"You're kidding," Marinette gasped. Was it merely a coincidence?

The bronze-skinned woman shook her head. "And she's not the only one."

"Who else?"

Alya's eyes widened with excitement. "You'll never guess."

"Chloe?" Marinette guessed with a snort. Alya waved her answer away with a flippant hand.

"Rose _and_ Juleka are _both_ pregnant."

The raven-haired woman's face soured with puzzlement. "From… their husbands?"

Alya shook her head. "They both swear up and down that neither of them had sex with their husbands for _months_ before the reunion. Or any other man, for that matter."

"So, they're pregnant by… magic?" Marinette shrugged. "That sounds crazy."

"Weirder things have happened."

"I suppose that's true."

" _Mari,_ don't you see?" Alya's eyes sparkled. "Every woman that got hit with Witchkraft's spell and had sex that night _conceived_."

She watched her best friend expectantly, but Marinette was at a loss as to what point she was getting at.

"So, what does it mean?"

Alya groaned. "Girl, that _means_ that whoever you had sex with is _definitely_ the father of your baby."

Marinette lifted her glass to her lips but couldn't find the strength to take a sip as she processed the revelation; her hands had already started to tremble. According to Alya's investigations and conclusions and the evidence presented, that would mean that Cat Noir was undoubtedly the father of Marinette's child. But it was all only speculation, right?

She wasn't sure if she was thrilled or disappointed at the prospect of Cat Noir being her definitive co-parent.

"It's a nice theory," she said at last, depositing her glass back on the table.

"Theory?" Alya repeated the word back to Marinette, her shoulders deflating a bit. She scanned her best friend's face for a minute before speaking again.

"Mari, can I be straight up with you?"

"You're my best friend, Alya," Marinette said with a forced smile. "Of course you can."

Alya sighed. "I thought you'd be… I don't know… _happier_ about having some definitive answer on the identity of the father. Your reaction leaves a lot to be desired."

Marinette's throat felt choked and constricted. She _should_ be happy, if what Alya had postulated as fact was true; but if Cat Noir was the father, then that would mean that there would never be a chance for her and Adrien to reconcile. That she had no part of Adrien to keep with her always. That her child had been conceived involuntarily out of a one-time, lust-fueled tryst rather than out of love.

 _That wasn't love,_ she chided herself. _If Adrien had loved you then he wouldn't have left you._

"I guess… a part of me was still hoping that Adrien is the father." She sniffled and stared down at her empty plate. If her stomach had been churning before, it was absolutely turbulent now.

Alya's face softened. "But you said so yourself that this– _other_ guy– wants to be with you, right?"

Marinette nodded meekly.

"And you really believe that Adrien is gone?"

Marinette didn't respond. Alya sighed.

"Honey, you know I love you. And I always want what's best for you. I want you to be happy. That's why I'll never forgive Adrien for what he did to you." She reached across the table and took her best friend's hands in her own. "But Witchkraft's spell only affected _soulmates_. Maybe… maybe _this_ is how it's meant to be. The father of your child _is_ your soulmate, and he wants to be with you and raise a family with you. You could have someone who loves you by your side and who will be a father to your child. You could build a life together and be happy. Isn't that what you want?"

Marinette swallowed with difficulty. Perhaps she had wanted those things before, but she wasn't sure anymore. Whenever she closed her eyes and thought about the thing she wanted most, it was always for Adrien Agreste to return to her. To love her again.

"Oh, Mari, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Marinette hadn't realized that she was crying until Alya was dabbing at the tears on her cheeks with napkins from the table.

"It's just pregnancy hormones," Marinette murmured. "But you're right. You're always right. I can't keep sitting around hoping that one day Adrien will realize he made a mistake and take me back."

Alya clasped her friend's hand and squeezed it tightly; Marinette squeezed back.

"I'll talk to him," Marinette sighed. "The 'other guy.' I'll see if he still wants to give this parenting and partnership thing a shot. I'm honestly not even sure if the offer is still on the table."

"Does this mean that I'll finally get to meet this mystery man?" Alya asked playfully.

Marinette laughed, but she didn't know Cat Noir's secret identity; she'd have to meet him first.

–

 **A/N: To all of my readers, I am deeply sorry for my prolonged absence. Last year was a rough ride for me from start to finish. The professional, romantic, and familial aspects of my life all broke down (almost simultaneously) and I was in a very dark place for a very long time. I was unemployed for most of the year, didn't speak to my family because of a bad situation, and my relationship of four years fell apart. It took a lot of effort and time and willpower on my part to restructure my life to be able to move forward on my own and continue in a new career. I am happy to say that I am doing better now and plan on updating at least one fic per month with at least one chapter at a time.**

 **Thank you for understanding, and as always reviews are so very much appreciated.**


	20. Chapter 20

With his clawed thumb and forefinger, Adrien flicked a tiny pebble over the balcony railing, watching with bored bemusement as it sailed to empty street below, clacking softly a few times in succession on the cobblestone before rolling to a stop. He was perched on the black iron banister of an all-too-familiar balcony, a favorite meeting spot of his and Ladybug's, waiting for her to arrive. It was the same balcony where he had once prepared a surprise romantic dinner for his Lady; she had rebuffed his advances then and even now, ten years later, very little had changed between them.

Except for everything.

"Did she say what she wants to talk about?" Plagg asked curiously, flitting about Adrien's masked face. He shrugged at his kwami companion's question.

"She just said that she wanted to meet to talk."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Plagg huffed. "I hate waiting."

Adrien only pursed his lips, digging his chin deeper into his crossed arms as they rested on his bent knees. He hated waiting, too; with every minute that passed, his heart and mind continued waging their war on his sanity with an endless stream of unsettling thoughts, making him more and more anxious.

"Do you think that she discovered Hawk Moth's true identity?" The black cat kwami tapped a thoughtful claw against his maw. "Or do you think that she changed her mind about being with you?"

"I don't know." Adrien bit his lip; he didn't want to get his hopes up. Especially not when he was still hurting from his split from Marinette. People always said that time heals all heartbreak, but to Adrien it seemed that as time dragged on, the rift in his heart left behind by Marinette only widened, perpetually wounding him further.

His expression must have changed when he thought about Marinette, because Plagg was suddenly directly in front of his nose, placing a comforting paw on its tip to balance himself as he looked into his friend's eyes.

"Do you really think that you did the right thing by letting her go?" he asked quietly.

Adrien narrowed his eyes. "There was no other way."

"You could have tried _talking_ to her about the situation." A single pearly white fang poked out from the side of Plagg's mouth. "Maybe you didn't spend enough time considering your options before you decided to do what you did. I could see how much you loved her. I'd never seen you so happy as you were when you were with her. Not even Ladybug–"

"It's just the way it has to be," Adrien cut in sharply, jerking his head to the side to release the kwami's grip on his nose. "It's been nearly four months. She's probably moved on by now, and so I have to move on as well. There's no point in continuing to talk about it, so leave me alone."

With a solemn nod to indicate that he understood that the conversation was finished, Plagg slowly drifted away from Adrien to find a quiet spot to sit alone.

Adrien sighed in regret. He shouldn't have snapped at his friend, but he couldn't handle any more talk of Marinette. He would never forget her, that was for certain, but that didn't mean he had to torture himself by speaking about how badly he had messed up. He made his decision and he'd have to live with it for the rest of his life. It was his fate.

A gentle whoosh of air and a delicate _thud_ followed by the padding of light footsteps announced Ladybug's arrival behind him; he turned slowly to meet her blue eyes, noticing the way her hair shone silvery in the threads of moonlight that managed to filter through the clouds overhead. Inside of his rib cage, his heart thumped at the sight of her.

"Cat Noir," she greeted as she caught her breath, raising herself to stand up straight. "You came."

"Well, yeah, you asked me to," he retorted, his tone a bit sharper than he intended. His mood had soured considerably since Plagg's mention of Marinette. He couldn't be with the love of his life, and his first love– who may very well be carrying his child inside of her– wanted nothing to do with him.

"I just thought…" Ladybug's voice trailed off. She bit her pouty lower lip, and Adrien noticed for the first time that she looked as anxious as he felt.

"You just what? Thought that I wouldn't show up?" Adrien leapt down from his perch to stand a dozen paces from his spotted partner. "You really think that poorly of me, huh?"

Ladybug shook her head. "I don't think poorly of you at all, Cat."

She sighed. "But after what happened after we battled The Apprehender… in the bedroom… when I stopped us from…"

The lingering phantom sensations of her heated kiss with Cat Noir flashed through her mind like a ghost and she shuddered, bringing her arms up in front of her chest to hold herself.

"I thought you hated me."

Cat Noir swallowed thickly. He knew that his behavior towards his partner had been cold and unwarranted over the past months, although she didn't deserve it; he was battling his own demons and had unfairly taken his frustrations out on his Lady.

"I don't hate you," he sighed. He ran a clawed hand roughshod through his windswept hair. His gaze focused on the ground, too ashamed of himself to look her in the eye. "I'm just going through some things is all. It's been a rough few months."

Ladybug's attention piqued at hearing the pain in his voice, peeking up at him from behind thick, dark lashes. "I'm sorry. I've been so caught up in my own troubles that I never considered that you'd have some of your own. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. It doesn't matter anymore; nothing I say or do can change what I've done." Adrien set his masqued face in a hardened, placid facade before turning his face up. "What did you want to talk about?"

Ladybug fidgeted a bit, shuffling her weight from one foot to the other as she found the words to say."

"Cat, I think… I _know_ the baby is yours."

Adrien's heart thumped again, loud enough that he was sure that she would hear it. "How do you know for sure?"

"I heard some things." She averted her gaze, rubbing her arms as though she were cold; it made Adrien wish that he had a jacket to offer her. "Other women who got hit by the same spell got pregnant that night."

Then, as an afterthought: " _All_ of them did, actually."

Adrien swallowed, his throat suddenly drier than a desert; he should have been thrilled by the fact, but it only served to muddle his already complex emotions further.

A baby, one that was a little bit of him and a little

but of Ladybug– it was what he had wanted with Marinette. His elation at the news eluded him.

"Okay. I'm the father of your child," Adrien stated with monotonous resignation, suppressing his initial emotions. "So, now what?"

Her muscles tense, Ladybug gave her shoulders a slight lift and dropped them. "I don't know. I thought that, maybe– if you still wanted to, that is– we could give this co-parenting thing a shot. As partners."

A scoff escaped from Adrien before he could stop it.

"You've only decided that you want to be with me now that you know the baby is mine?" It came out sounding more bitter than he intended.

"No, of course not. I mean– it's hard to explain." Ladybug sighed. "I've always cared about you, Cat. But I loved someone else, and I suppose I still do."

She wiped away the involuntary tear that leaked from her eye.

"I didn't want to take advantage of your feelings for me. Especially if I was carrying another man's child. But he doesn't want me any more… if he ever did. So, I suppose that I need to move forward with my life. One way or another."

Ladybug watched Adrien's reaction to her words with glistening eyes as she continued speaking; the sight of her so hurt and broken caused his heart to ache. It reminded him of the way that he had hurt and broken Marinette on the day that he had told her to leave.

His Marinette. His one and only.

"You may not have been my first choice. I am sorry about that, Cat, and any pain that I caused you because of my shortcomings. But I realize now that we could have a family together. I may not love you, but we can still be parents to our child. Together. And who knows? Maybe someday…"

Adrien took a step toward Ladybug, and then another, and another; seeing her so vulnerable made him want to hold her in his arms, and knowing that she carried his heir within her womb made him want to possess her for his own. He couldn't fix Marinette's broken heart, of that he was certain, but perhaps he could heal Ladybug; he could ease her pain, and she could fill the hole in his own heart. The idea of making love to his dark-haired partner, accompanied by lurid imagery, flashed across his mind's eye and a heat began to spread from his groin, warming his body from the bottom and up; he wanted nothing more at that moment than to make Ladybug his.

It would be a conscious decision this time; no witchcraft required.

"Someday what?" he asked her softly.

Ladybug shook her head and looked down at her feet. "I don't know what I'm saying."

Adrien snaked his hands under either of her forearms, grasping her gently, pulling her carefully toward him. He could feel the way that she trembled at his touch and it made him want her more.

"Kiss me, my Lady."

She whipped her face up to look at him, fear evident in her wide blue eyes; she wasn't fearful of him, but rather fearful of the plunge that they were about to take.

With a tantalizing, aching slowness, Adrien dipped his head towards his partner's face. Her lips parted in surprise and he took them tenderly against his own. Her lips were plush and moist and caused electricity to spark within himself like a lightning bolt.

He slid the palms of his hands up Ladybug's back, reveling in her warmth that radiated through the fabric of her suit; his fingertips reached the nape of her neck and tickled the hair there as he deepened the kiss, holding the back of her head for leverage to push his tongue into her mouth, eliciting a moan from the back of her throat. They continued that way for some time, gasping and sighing as they explored one another through their kiss, the initial resistance between them melting away until nothing but mutual need remained.

When it became too much to bear, Adrien broke away first, tipping his head back to see her expression; her cheeks were flushed a glorious shade of scarlet and her eyes were closed, her petal pink lips swollen and moist, still parted from their kiss. Her ample bosom heaved up and down from the effort of her breathing and a thin sheen of perspiration had broken out across her forehead.

 _This is my chance,_ Adrien thought. _I have to know who the mother of my child is. I have to see her. All of her._

"Ladybug." He reached for her mask, cautiously slipping his fingers beneath its edges. "Let me see you."

Ladybug flinched at his touch; she seemed to consider giving in to him for a moment, allowing him to peel the mask from her face an inch, before her eyes snapped open and she jerked out of his hold. A broken sob shot forth from her constricted throat, the emotions that she had been trying so hard to hold in spilling forth at last.

"I can't. I can't do this." She clapped a hand to her mouth to keep the sobs at bay as tears began to fall with abandon from her glimmering eyes. "I'm in love with someone else. I thought I could try, but I can't. I'm sorry."

Adrien took a step back to give her space, sheepish with regret.

"I'm in love with someone else, too," he said, his voice a sobering rasp in the relative peace of the quiet night. "But I can never be with her."

Ladybug peered up at him, her eyelashes damp. "W-why not?"

"It's complicated."

"I know what you mean." She sniffed. "But if you really love them, you shouldn't give up."

He shook his head. "It's for the best."

"It's not for the best if you still love each other," she murmured. "Don't give up. Fight for her. Fight for your love."

"What about you?" Adrien retorted. "Have you given up?"

Ladybug gazed at him sadly. "It's too late for me. I'm pregnant with someone else's child– _your_ child. And even if I wasn't, he doesn't want me. There's nothing I can do to change that."

Adrien sighed and turned away from her, leaning forward with both hands gripping the iron railing in front of him, feeling like a fool. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. For all of this."

"It's nobody's fault."

Adrien clenched a clawed fist. "It's Hawk Moth's fault."

A pathetic whimper of a laugh ghosted from between Ladybug's lips as her sobs gradually slowed and her breathing evened out. "You know, I never did de-evilize Witchkraft's akuma. I wonder: if I did, would this child would cease to exist? Would all my problems be solved, and I could be with him again? But then I remember that it wouldn't change a thing. He doesn't want me. He made that very clear."

She seemed lost in her own thoughts, gazing out over the sleeping City of Love as she placed a tender palm over the subtle swell of her abdomen. "Either way, I want this child. I already love him or her so much."

Adrien watched her in awe, his heart simultaneously aching and swelling with… was it love? Could he truly love again? Not only love for his child, but for its mother?

He had loved Ladybug once; he supposed that a part of him always had and always would.

"I want this baby," she stated matter-of-factly. Her voice had retained its normal composure and her tears seemed to have abated for the time being. "And I… I want it with you, Cat Noir. I think I just need time. I hope we can be a real family someday."

"I hope so, too," he murmured; a wetness sprang to his own eyes and left staining trails on his cheeks.

As quickly as it had come, the wistful look that had overtaken Ladybug's features dissipated to something else, something puzzling and unrecognizable. She placed a kiss as fleeting as the flap of a butterfly's wing on her partner's dampened cheek before leaping off of the rooftop and into the night, disappearing from his view, fading until she was no more apart from the darkness than he was.

–

 **A/N: I hate hate** _ **hate**_ **this chapter. It's getting a rewrite soon (the other chapters are getting tweaked as well). I'm sorry I sat on it for so long. Life is a bag of dicks.**


	21. Chapter 21

Marinette's fingers fumbled across the register buttons, the machine beeping its discontent every time she hit the wrong key.

"Sorry," she mumbled sleepily to the patient customer standing on the other side of the counter from her as she handed him his receipt and a paper bag full of buttery croissants. He thanked her before scurrying out the door, probably late for work or some other commitment on account of Marinette's clumsiness.

After her late night meeting with Cat Noir, she had slept fitfully, tossing and turning from the kicking parasite within her keeping her awake, until the next thing she knew the sun was up and her father was calling her name to come down and help in the bakery. She helped with what she could, but she couldn't help but drag her feet as she worked; even the espresso that she had downed between rushes hadn't helped to perk her up.

Cat Noir had kissed her so perfectly; it had been simultaneously so passionate and gentle, so needy and loving, that butterflies fluttered in Marinette's stomach simply by reminiscing about the experience. She could sense love in his kiss, and devotion, but a nagging part of her told her that it wasn't meant for her.

Exhausted, Marinette slumped against the register after the last customer had left the bakery. It was still early, only nine or so in the morning, but she knew that she'd have to help her father clean and prep for the lunch rush that would begin in just an hour. Her mother was out running errands and wouldn't be back until late.

The ding of the bell above the door made Marinette nearly groan out loud at the prospect of

another customer, but when she looked up she was relieved to be greeted by a mass of thick bronze hair and bright green eyes.

"Hey, Alya." Straightening up, Marinette stretched her spine as much as she could as she yawned, her distended abdomen pushing outward. Alya's own bulging baby bump was just as obvious through her silk dolman blouse.

"You look ready to burst," Alya laughed once she'd reached the counter.

Marinette winced as the baby delivered a rather aggressive kick to her internal organs. "I _feel_ like I'm about to burst. What are you doing here?"

Alya grinned, baring her white teeth. "I just had _the_ most exclusive interview drop into my lap this morning, and you are not going to _believe_ who it was with."

"The Pope?" Marinette half-assed as she made herself busy by putting away things behind the dessert case.

Alya shook her head so violently that a handful of metallic curls came loose from their updo. " _Luka Couffaine._ "

At hearing his name, Marinette lost her grip on the tongs she was holding; they clattered to the floor loudly enough to cause her to jump, her frayed nerves already fried from working so hard on so little sleep– and while pregnant, to boot.

She hadn't seen Luka since Alya and Nino's wedding in Lyon. He he called her up once at her flat in Milan, when he had been in town on tour, but she had lied and told him that she was too busy to see him. Truth be told, she was afraid of seeing him again. The last that Marinette had heard, he was living in London with the rest of his band mates, so to hear that he was back in Paris was startling news.

"He's in town to kick off the next leg of his tour with his band," Alya continued, oblivious to her friend's distress. "He was originally scheduled to interview with Nadja Chamack, but she got in a car wreck on her way to the studio this morning. I was already there and Luka actually asked for me by name to conduct the interview, so the station decided to move forward and allow it! Can you believe my luck?"

Marinette nodded numbly before crouching to retrieve the lost tongs, struggling with the added barrier of her belly getting in the way.

"And–" Alya bit her lip, but she couldn't contain the squeal in her voice. "He wouldn't stop _asking_ about _you_."

"About me?" In shock, Marinette launched herself up quickly from the floor; too quickly, as she banged the top of her head on the ledge of a stainless steel prep cart. She hissed in pain and rubbed the tender spot with her fingers.

 _What could he possibly be asking about? What does he want to know?_ _Why is he interested in me?_ Her heart quickened.

After taking a moment to compose herself, Marinette took her seat behind the register and continued her line of confused questioning. "Why was he asking about me? I haven't seen or spoken to Luka in years."

Alya shrugged, but her smirk revealed that she knew more of Luka's motivations than she was letting on. Before she could answer, however, the bell above the front door to the bakery twinkled loudly. Both pairs of eyes turned to see the intimidating spectre of Chloe Bourgeois cross the threshold.

She was dressed smartly in a black jumpsuit with cap sleeves, her pin-straight blonde hair pulled back in a sleek, shiny ponytail. The heels of her custom Stella McCartney boots clacked across the floor as she made her way to the counter; they probably cost more than Marinette made in a month.

"The sun is out. Don't you have a coffin somewhere to be sleeping in?" Alya asked dryly as she approached.

"I need a cake," Chloe remarked flatly as she came to a stop in front of the women, ignoring Alya's insults, but shooting her a characteristic glare nonetheless.

Marinette raised an annoyed eyebrow; she was in no mood to deal with Paris's Most Precious Heiress today. "A cake?"

"Won't that ruin whatever juice cleanse or gluten-free fad diet you're doing right now?" Alya chirped in.

Chloe narrowed her eyes and snapped her fingers, exhaling an impatient sigh in the fiery woman's direction. "It's not for _me_."

She turned her cruel gaze and smug grin back on Marinette. "It's for Adrien. I'm making him dinner at his place tonight, and I'm too busy to make a dessert on top of everything else. Besides, I know his favorite cake comes from this bakery. Although, I'll never understand how he can stomach something so vile."

Red-hot anger seared into Marinette's vision.

 _Do you know_ why _his favorite dessert comes from this bakery?_ She wanted to scream. _It's his favorite because_ I _always made it for him._

Despite the pregnancy hormones raging inside of her, making her more emotional than usual, Marinette managed to keep her voice in check. "What kind of cake?"

Chloe smiled sweetly. "Oh, you know _precisely_ the one."

 _Damn her._

Pressing her lips into a thin line, Marinette rose from her seat, holding onto the edge of the counter for leverage; her entire abdomen was suddenly revealed to Chloe's view, swollen belly and all.

"Are you fat or just expecting, Dupain-Cheng?" She sneered meanly.

Marinette grimaced from the effort it took to swallow down her curses. "Expecting."

"I can hardly believe that someone would actually want to sleep with you. Who's the father?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." The dark-haired woman reached for a clean set of tongs behind the dessert case, although the dirty ones she had retrieved from the floor looked rather tempting. The large knife just beside them even more so.

A flash of something akin to _knowing_ crossed Chloe's features. "I think _you_ would like to know."

Marinette gripped the tongs in her fist with enough force to drain the blood from her knuckles.

"It's not Adrien, is it?" Chloe continued, deriving a sick sort of pleasure from her torment of Marinette in her current predicament. "No, of course it isn't. Or else he wouldn't have thrown you out on your ass."

Chloe probably expected Marinette to react explosively, but she resolved to do the opposite; with the calmest, most unaffected demeanor she could manage, Marinette tipped her chin up to face her rival, blue meeting heavily-lined blue.

She dared to look directly into Chloe's eyes without breaking contact. "The strawberry cake, right?"

"Of course," Chloe snapped after a pause, but Marinette could detect the hint of uncertainty in her tone. "Adrien's favorite. Or have you forgotten?"

Without a word, Marinette packaged up the small pink cake and tied the box with a pretty satin bow and a freshly-cut rose blossom, a service typically reserved for those paying for gift wrapping. She pushed the box toward Chloe on the counter.

"Here you are. It's on the house."

 _Not like you couldn't afford it._

"Of course it is," Chloe seethed, staring her down only a moment longer before she huffed and spun on her heels, walking briskly out the door.

Alya groaned as soon as the door had shut behind them. "Girl, I _cannot_ believe you just played right into that witch's game. You should've told her to get lost and get _bent_. I thought that your pregnancy brain would've given you a bit more of that Mama Bear mentality by now."

"It's okay," Marinette assured her best friend. "If she knew anything about Adrien at all, then she'd have known that his favorite dessert isn't strawberry cake; it's macarons."

As much as her unfortunate meeting with Chloe had disturbed her, only one thing disturbed Marinette more than the nasty heiress's taunts–

Just how in the hell that Chloe knew that Marinette wasn't sure about the true identity of her child's father.

Shaking her head, Alya reached into her purse. "Anyways, I've got to be going. But I came by because I wanted to give you these."

She pulled out two strips of paper and held them out to Marinette, who took them from her cautiously; upon further inspection, she realized that they were a pair of VIP tickets to Kitty Section's show the following week.

"They're from Luka," Alya explained. She tucked a lock of loose hair behind her ear and shrugged. "We could go out and have fun. Forget about your troubles for awhile. What do you say?"

Marinette sighed and set the tickets down on the counter. "I don't know, Alya."

"It's just one night." She reached over and took ahold of her friend's hands, cupping them in her own. "You deserve a night out. Just the two of us. A girls' night out."

Then, as an aside: "No men allowed."

Marinette forced a smiled and nodded, but deep down she knew that– if the tickets were really from Luka– that there would be at least one man that she'd end up seeing that night, and not just on the stage.

–

Chloe took the cake that was supposedly meant for Adrien from Sabrina's arms and thrust it angrily into the nearest waste bin along the curb. What a waste of a perfectly good ruse.

"Wait, isn't that for Adrien?" Sabrina questioned innocently.

Chloe shot her a glare that could shatter diamonds. The cake was never for Adrien, and she definitely did not have dinner plans with him; he would refuse to see her even if she sprouted wings and offered him the secret of immortality.

The taller woman growled at her underling cowering beside her as she turned and began walking briskly down the sidewalk and away from the bakery. "You're _really_ testing my patience today, Sabrina."

"I'm sorry!" The ginger-haired woman shot up both hands in front of herself in a gesture of surrender as she struggled to keep up with her boss's long, angry strides. "But let me explain my theory. After I was de-akumatized by you, after the explosion, I came to. I saw Ladybug and Cat Noir, so I followed them. And I… _heard_ things."

"What things?"

Sabrina's emerald eyes glittered with mischief. "Ladybug is pregnant."

"I know that."

"And," Sabrina continued, excited by her point. "It's obvious that Marinette is pregnant."

"I know that too, dipshit. That's what we came here to find out today." Chloe had snapped her snarky response without thinking, but as the gears in her brain began to turn, she seemed to reach the same conclusion as Sabrina at the same time.

"Yes, but we didn't _see_ Marinette with anyone that night. Everyone else was accounted for. Even Adrien. But Marinette disappeared into thin air and then Ladybug arrived. Doesn't that seem a little strange to you? Your spell was contained just to that room, so how would Ladybug have known to come save the day if Cat Noir was already incapacitated? The math doesn't add up."

Chloe stopped in her tracks, pondering Sabrina's point. She tapped a perfectly-manicured fingertip to her chin. "That would mean that Marinette is Ladybug, and the father of her child is Cat Noir."

"It _would_ explain why Adrien and Marinette broke up," Sabrina added thoughtfully. "It would mean that Adrien isn't her soulmate. And if Adrien didn't have intercourse with anyone that night, then there's still a chance that _you're_ his true soulmate, Chloe!"

"There isn't a _chance_ that I'm his soulmate because _I am_ his soulmate, you dweeb." Her clenched fists at her sides, however, indicated that she wasn't wholly convinced; the idea that Adrien wasn't meant for her enraged the hot-tempered heiress beyond belief.

A thought occurred to Chloe suddenly, and she perked up.

"In fact, I know how we can snare Marinette– and secure Adrien for myself– once and for all."


	22. Chapter 22

The incessant buzzing of his cell phone snapped Adrien from the reverie of his work.

Lifting his head from his desk, he pulled the device from his pocket and glanced at the screen; Nino was calling him.

" _Hey, man,_ " Nino greeted from the other end of the line once Adrien had accepted the call. " _How've you been?_ "

Adrien shrugged, then stupidly remembered that his best friend couldn't see the gesture over the phone. "I've been better."

It was an honest answer.

" _Well, I've got just the thing to cheer you up._ " There was a rustling noise. " _Babe got some VIP tickets to the Kitty Section concert tonight, and she thought it'd be a good idea if I got you out of the house._ "

Truth be told, Adrien hadn't been home in days, having essentially moved into and been living in the office in the back of his boutique; he had been trying to spend as little time at the Agreste manor as possible since his breakup with Marinette. When he was there, it was usually only to shower and take a brief nap; even then, he refused to sleep in his own bed and opted for the couch instead.

 _Speaking of a shower._ He shuffled a hand through his unkempt blond hair and felt the grease that had built up on his scalp. Adrien had allowed his locks to grow a bit longer than usual as of late; his hair was shaggy and uneven, the unruly aesthetic accenting his perpetual five o'clock shadow exceptionally well.

"Isn't that Luka Couffaine's band?" The name was bitter on Adrien's tongue. Although Marinette was no longer his, he still felt a pang of jealousy at remembering the fact that the turquoise-haired punk had been the one to deflower Marinette instead of him.

" _Yeah, but they've got some great openers on the roster, too. If you want we could even leave before Kitty Section plays their set._ "

"I don't think I should," Adrien said. "I've got a lot of stuff to do around the shop before the grand opening. I've had to change some things at the last minute since…"

 _Since I cut Marinette out of my life and out of my heart._ No, that wasn't accurate; Marinette was still a part of his heart as ever.

No, that wasn't right, either; she _was_ his heart. His entire heart. Even if he did admit to himself that he felt something for Ladybug, it could never compare to his love for Marinette.

Nino's sigh came through the receiver. " _What if I told you that Marinette will be there?_ "

Adrien's heart leapt into his throat. A chance to see Marinette, in the flesh, after months without so much as a word? It was like offering a man dying of thirst the chance to taste water.

"I can't," he sighed at last. Then, as a correction: "I shouldn't. I'm sorry, man."

One sip of her and he'd only crave more.

" _Well, your name is on the list if you change your mind._ _Just give me a call._ "

They exchanged terse goodbyes and then the line went dead.

No longer feeling up to working, Adrien leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, conjuring up images of the last night that he had made love to Marinette– his last moment of light in a lifetime of darkness.

–

"I don't think this is our scene anymore," Marinette groaned as she and Alya twined their way through the crowd of excited teenagers and twenty-somethings, feeling wholly out of place with her bulging belly and overpriced cup of alcohol-free seltzer water in hand.

"Lighten up, Mari," Alya shouted back over her shoulder as she led the way. "We're gonna have fun!"

They made their way to their seats, not entirely surprised to find that they were up close to the stage, although Marinette hadn't been expecting to be all the way up front in the first row. She almost wished that they had been seated up in the nosebleeds, where she could hide from Luka and his piercing blue gaze.

Before Marinette could suggest to Alya that they should move to a pair of empty seats somewhere else, the lights kicked off and the room erupted in a roar of deafening cheers and wallops. The openers had already played their sets while Marinette and Alya had been at the bar drowning their pregnancy sorrows in virgin daiquiris, meaning that there was only one band left to take the stage.

A blaring guitar riff sounded over the stadium's sound system, eliciting even more noise from the crowd. The members of Kitty Section came out one by one, assuming their positions on the stage; the only remaining original member was Luka Couffaine, who took his place at last at the front-center. The sight of him caused many a girl in the audience to swoon– Marinette included.

The other members of the band were forgotten as the music started up; Marinette kept her eyes on Luka all the while, his long hair a shining blue beacon that bobbed along to the beat as he began to play, strumming his electric guitar and leaning in towards the microphone. He reminded Marinette of a younger, more attractive Jagged Stone.

" _Bonsoir, Paris,_ " he purred into the mic, much to the delight of the crowd. They responded with a wave of whistles and hollers. Mari gripped her drink with both hands and leaned forward, desperate to get a better look at him; he didn't seem to notice her presence right away.

"There's a very special girl here in the audience tonight," Luka continued. "A girl… that I've known for a long time… she's a funny girl."

Suddenly, his eyes were on her, and Marinette felt her heart thrum and her legs go weak; she thanked her good fortune that she was already sitting down or else she would've surely toppled over from the weight of his gaze on her.

"Mari, this one's for you."

A handful of people whistled as the band played out the first few notes of the song, stepping into place.

Marinette watched, captivated, as Luka's hands skimmed over the strings of his guitar, his tattooed, experienced fingers strumming and plucking out a melody in harmony with the other instruments; the harsh, electric notes enhanced the music without overpowering it, like the bright green leaves of a pretty flower, but to Marinette every other sound was drowned out until she could hear nothing else but Luka and his guitar.

And then he began to sing.

It was then that Luka looked up from his guitar and locked eyes with her, blue meeting blue, and pressed his lips to the mic; he didn't look away for the entirety of the song.

He watched her as he played and sang, his eyes sparkling, making Marinette feel as though she were the only other person in the room with him. The song was enchanting, about a love long lost, but Marinette could hardly pay attention to the lyrics as the lead singer crooned them, every other stimulus forgotten and every one of her senses focused on Luka. It made her dizzy.

Alya was already on her feet, screeching in excitement along with the people around her; as Kitty Section reached the climax of their song, she pulled the star-struck woman beside her up to stand with her.

"Dance!" she encouraged, shouting over the music. Marinette bopped awkwardly along to the beat, feeling the music reverberate in her bones, vibrating in time with her heartbeat.

After what felt like an eternity, the song came to an end; the last few chords resounded throughout the venue, punctuated by the chorus of screams and applause that followed the final note.

Marinette stared up at Luka in awe, her heart hammering; he winked in response.

If only Marinette knew what he was thinking behind that wink.

–

The lights came back on. Some members of the audience were still lively, cheering for yet another encore; there didn't seem to be one forthcoming, and so Marinette took her chance to stretch and yawn, pushing her distended abdomen forward and being rewarded for the motion with a tiny kick from the inside. She was about to comment to Alya that she was beat and ready to go home when a burly, black-clad security guard approached the pregnant pair.

"You ladies are VIP?" he asked gruffly.

Worried that they might be in trouble, Marinette glanced at Alya; the bronze-haired woman nodded at the man, but her gaze wandered elsewhere, as though she was looking for someone.

"Come with me," he instructed. Seeing no other choice, the two women followed along behind him as he led them around the stage and through a door, into a dimly-lit back hallway. Roadies and stage techs ran this way and that, carrying heavy cases of equipment from the set out to the loading bay.

They reached a line of dressing room doors at the end of the hallway; the security guard rapped his knuckles against the door that they had stopped in front of, and was repaid with the unmistakable voice of Luka Couffaine coming from the other side.

"Come in."

Marinette tugged on Alya's arm. "Are you sure that this is a good idea?"

"We'll just stop in and say hello real quick," Alya whispered back, but her uneasy behavior did nothing to help Marinette feel comfortable about the situation; her focus was on the far end of the hallway and she seemed antsy for something– or someone.

Marinette, on the other hand, was antsy to _leave_ ; the prospect of becoming reacquainted with Luka after so many years terrified her to her core.

The security guard, growing impatient, opened the door for the indecisive women and ushered them in, closing it behind them; the sound of it latching definitively shut caused Marinette to jump.

The dressing room was spacious and colorful, obviously decorated to suit a rockstar's eccentric tastes; a swanky, leather sectional sofa took up most of the center of the room, piled high with fluffy pillows and an extra-large, leopard-print throw blanket. The walls and ceilings were swathed in exotic bronze lanterns and patterned tapestries, giving the room a warm, Moroccan vibe. Perched on one arm of the sofa sat a barefoot and freshly-showered Luka, already dressed down for the evening in tight black pants and an open flannel shirt with nothing underneath, revealing his expanse of inked skin.

Marinette felt a tingle run down her spine at the sight of him, bare-chested and smiling at her.

"Mari." The corner of his lips quirked up; his turquoise eyes trailed to the other woman. "'Sup, Alya?"

"Hi, Luka," Alya reponded first, more in control of her senses than her best friend. "Kickass show tonight."

" _Merci_." He chuckled, and the sound warmed Marinette from head to toe; she had forgotten how much she had once liked the blue-haired rebel, but her body was beginning to remember before her heart did. Being so near to him again, for the first time in so long, was awakening feelings in her that she had long believed to be dead and buried.

He gestured for the girls to have a seat, and they did; he moved away from the sofa to a catered buffet table on the other end of the room, stacking various cuts of fruit and cheese on a plate. Without even bothering to ask Alya or Marinette whether they were hungry or not, he sat across from them and offered the full plate on the coffee table to them, along with a couple bottles of mineral water; truth be told, Marinette was ravenous, but she didn't dare eat a single bite in Luka's presence.

Alya and Luka engaged in small talk while Marinette stared at a spot on the wall, suddenly too self-conscious to do anything but sit perfectly still. Every so often, Alya would ask Marinette a question or two to try to get her to participate in the conversation, but she only replied with a curt, succinct answer before resuming her internal worrying that her hair was too flat or that she probably had bad body odor.

Somehow, even after years, Luka had that effect on her.

Marinette was disturbed from wondering if there was anything stuck in her teeth that would be embarrassingly obvious if she smiled by a high-pitched pinging noise. She realized that it was her best friend's phone when she pulled it out of her purse and read the text messages displayed on her screen with focused intent. Without an explanation for her companions, she punched out a reply and returned the phone to her purse.

"I've got to run," Alya stated suddenly, straightening up to go. "You alright staying here for a bit, Mari?"

"Actually, I–"

"Ok, great!" She grabbed her purse and blew an air kiss as she headed for the door. "This was fun. Let's do it again sometime. Love ya!"

Marinette pleaded with her eyes for Alya not to leave her, but it was in vain; just like that, she was gone, and Marinette found herself alone with Luka. She couldn't help but feel the sting of betrayal; it all seemed pre-planned somehow.

 _If she's trying to hook me up with Luka, I'll kill her,_ Marinette swore to herself.

Just like at Alya and Nino's wedding, Marinette found herself emotionally vulnerable and at the mercy of Luka and his disarmingly handsome smile, and it was anyone's guess what could– or would– happen.

–

"I'm really glad you could make it, dude," Nino exalted as he slapped his best bro on the back in good humor. "What did you think of the show? Not so bad, eh?"

Adrien shrugged to show his indifference. "It was alright."

Truth be told, it had been a pretty spectacular show, even by an Agreste's standards; it drove Adrien crazy to know that a man as talented and well-liked as Luka Couffaine had once dated Marinette, if only briefly.

 _I was a fool back then,_ he chided himself. Then, as an afterthought: _I'm still a fool._

Adrien finished his bottle of beer before setting it back down on the bar top. The concert had ended some time ago, and so the flood of people leaving the arena had thinned considerably. Only a few stragglers remained here and there; some people who had partied too hard were sobering up with water and coffee near where Adrien and Nino stood at the venue bar that was prepping to close. They were chatting and laughing amongst themselves at some unheard joke, and Adrien felt a familiar pang from his adolescent years at being left out of a group. It was a reaction that was, unfortunately, ingrained into his psyche.

Scratching the back of his hair, which he had washed in preparation of potentially seeing his long-lost love again (he had even shaved his face), Adrien dared to ask the question that had been burning inside of him all night, the question at the heart of his reasoning for coming out to the show in the first place: "So, uh, where's Marinette?"

Nino finished his own beer and set it aside, sighing with satisfaction and smacking his lips. "She's with Babe. They should be meeting us here any minute."

As if on cue, Alya appeared at the front of the room, waving to Adrien and Nino as she approached the bar.

"Hey, guys," she greeted. She kissed her husband on the cheek and adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder. "Did you enjoy the concert?"

"Yeah, it was great," Nino answered. Adrien only shrugged again, and so Alya set her sights on him.

"I'm surprised you stayed for the entire show," she gibed playfully, giving Adrien a light punch on the arm. "I would've thought that your _jealousy_ would've gotten to you by the second song and you'd have left."

Adrien snorted. "Jealous? Jealous of what? Who? Luka? _Please_."

He realized that he was overreacting too much to be convincing, and so he picked up his beer to distract himself, before remembering that it was empty and dropping it back down again.

Alya giggled. "I'm just ruffling your feathers, Agreste. But it is good to see you out of the house."

"Good to see you, too," Adrien mumbled, avoiding her gaze, but he couldn't hide the smile that crept to the corners of his lips. He couldn't have asked for better friends to have in his life.

"Speaking of seeing people," Nino started, glancing around. "I don't see Marinette. Wasn't she supposed to be with you?"

Adrien's ears perked up at hearing her name mentioned.

Alya suddenly frowned. "She was."

"Did she go home or something?"

Now Alya was wringing her hands. "No, not exactly."

Picking up on her guilty demeanor, Adrien turned slowly to face Alya, cocking his head. "Where is she?"

"I left her… in the back… so that I could come meet up with you guys."

She was dodging the question. Growing wary, Adrien rose to stand, his eyebrows furrowed. "Did you leave her alone?"

Alya chewed her lip nervously. "No. I would never…"

Nino smacked a hand to his face. "Oh, no, Babe. You didn't."

Adrien looked from Nino to Alya and back again. "Didn't what?"

Nino sighed. "You left her alone with Luka, didn't you?"

Adrien didn't wait for Alya to either confirm or deny before he threw on his jacket and ran from the bar.


	23. Chapter 23

_Alya sighed into her mug of tea, the steam warming her face and making her eyes water in the most delicious way. "We've got to do something."_

 _From where he stood on the other side of their quaint but cozy kitchen, Nino replied with his back to his wife as he scrubbed the dishes in the sink: "I don't think it's really our place to interfere, Babe."_

 _In a burst of pregnancy hormones, Alya pounded her fist down on the table in front of her._

" _Of course it is!"_

 _Nino whipped around and shushed her with a finger to his lips. "Calm down, Babe. He's gonna hear you."_

" _Good," she replied sardonically, crossing her arms over her baby bump that had just begun to show. "Let him hear me. Maybe it'll inspire him to do something other than mope around in self-pity all the time!"_

" _He's going through a lot right now," Nino defended._

" _And like Marinette isn't?" The bronze-haired woman huffed in annoyance of the conversation that she had started._

" _Yeah, but he's having a hard time with this, too. Let him chill out."_

" _He_ is _chilling out. All he's been_ doing _is chilling_ _out– for_ weeks!" _Alya nearly shrieked her frustration, but she managed to lower her voice to a tense, strangled whisper. "He's been on our couch without moving since he dumped her, drinking scotch and watching television all day."_

 _Her husband only shook his head and turned his attention back to finishing the dishes, setting them aside._

" _Someone needs to light a fire under his butt," Alya grumbled; Nino heard her, and shot his wife a warning look._

" _I_ know _what that tone means, Babe." He moved to sit with his wife at the table with a cup of freshly-poured coffee. "Just leave it alone. What should happen will happen. You, like, can't force it."_

" _Yeah, whatever." She swirled the lukewarm tea around inside of her mug, already thinking up a plot. "He can't just leave my pregnant best friend who loves him more than anything to raise a child by herself. The bastard."_

 _Nino flinched so intensely at the revelation that he dropped his coffee. The mug shattered immediately upon contact with the marble floor of their Parisian apartment, scattering brown liquid and shards of porcelain over the entirety of the kitchen._

" _Marinette's_ pregnant?"

 _Alya opened her mouth to tell her husband to shut his own, when she was interrupted by the sound of a flushing toilet. The bathroom door swung open ominously and a disheveled-looking Adrien– wearing only a stained white t-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants– stepped out from it, the bags under his eyes darker than the coffee that was now splattered all over the cabinets._

" _Who's pregnant?" Adrien asked, rubbing his eyes and wincing when he rubbed too hard; hangovers were a bitch._

 _Alya narrowed her eyes at Adrien._

" _I am, obviously," she bit out harshly._

" _Oh. Yeah." Adrien shuffled on his feet awkwardly. "So, uh… what's going on in here? I thought I heard something break."_

" _Nothing's going on," Alya mumbled, suddenly stone-faced and composed as if the previous minutes' argument had never happened. When Nino didn't back her up, she gave him a kick in the shin under the table._

" _Nothing at all."_

–

"Congratulations."

Marinette's head snapped toward the intrusion of a voice in the otherwise silent room. "Huh?"

Luka nodded towards her with his chin; he had moved to sit beside her on the sofa, but still maintained an appropriate distance between them. "The baby. Congratulations."

"Oh, yeah, thanks," Marinette patted her bulging stomach with a hand; with her other hand she reached for a bottle of water from the table and took a long, desperate swig.

"Agreste's the father?"

The question caused Marinette to choke on her drink. After working through her coughing fit, she collected herself and set the bottle aside. With a sigh, she pushed her hair behind her ears with both hands, smoothing the frizzy, sweaty locks away from her face.

"He's... not."

She dared to look up and meet Luka's eyes; where she expected to see confusion or pity, she only saw curiosity. He raised his eyebrow in an unspoken question.

Marinette sighed again. "It's complicated."

Shifting in his seat, Luka made himself more comfortable, stretching his arm over the back of the couch and propping a foot up in front of himself on the cushion. "I'm all ears if you wanna talk about it, love."

Marinette wasn't sure what came over her then; Luka's offer to listen was not only considerate, but _tempting_. Maybe it was because she had only had Alya to spill her guts to over the past few months– and even then she couldn't tell her best friend _everything–_ that made talking to Luka so appealing in that moment, but she felt her words immediately well up in her throat like a dam about to burst.

Plus, she figured, the more that she kept talking, the less likely that they'd end up doing something else that didn't involve talking.

 _As if that technique worked last time,_ she thought, shuddering at the memory of Nino and Alya's wedding reception and the… _aftermath_.

"So, you know what happened to Juleka, right? At the reunion?" she started after a moment of contemplation. Luka nodded at the mention of his younger sister.

"Well, that happened to me, too. Except, I don't know who the guy even is who… _you know_." Marinette waved her hands for emphasis. "I mean, I _do_ know who he is. But not really. Like, I've known him a long time– since I was a teenager– but I don't know what he does for fun or where he lives or anything. We've just worked together on the same project for years. Anyway, shortly after the night of the reunion, Adrien and I reconciled and started officially dating."

Luka nodded, encouraging her with his blue gaze to go on.

"We… broke up about a month later. Because–" Marinette damned the tears that welled up in her eyes at reliving that horrendous moment in Adrien's bedroom. "–he left me for someone else."

When Luka involuntarily clenched his fist beside Marinette on the sofa it was nearly imperceptible, but she noticed. However, he remained silent, allowing her to continue her story without interruption; it was a small gesture, but she was grateful for it.

"So, I left. And it's not like I can go back. He wouldn't take me back, anyway, and even if by some miracle he did love me again…"

Marinette patted her belly sorrowfully. "I'm carrying another man's child inside of me. But I'm not sure whether or not Adrien knows that. He kicked me out before I had the chance to tell him myself."

"He cheated on you with another woman, then kicked you out to fend for yourself, pregnant and alone?" Luka's tone was harsh. The normally cool-mannered rocker sounded uncharacteristically murderous.

Marinette shook her head. "It doesn't matter, Luka. I've made my peace with what happened."

His features softened, but his eyes were still hard from the mention of Adrien's infidelity. "Are you in love with this other man? The father of your child?"

Marinette chewed her bottom lip. "Not really... I'm not sure."

"Would you be happy with him?"

"I believe that I could be." She turned her focus to a spot on the table. "We've tried, but it's hard for me. Because of Adrien. I think I need time."

"You've tried?"

"To be together," Marinette explained. When Luka still appeared lost, she blushed. "You know– intimately."

A flicker of something black streaked across Luka's darkened gaze.

"I just– I _miss_ it. I miss that feeling." The tears began to fall from her eyes before she could stop them. "Of being with someone. Living with them. Falling asleep in their arms every night. Being important to them. Knowing that they understand you completely and you understand them. Feeling loved and attractive... and _wanted_."

Marinette squeezed her arms around herself, as if by doing so she could hold herself together, keep herself from splintering and falling apart. Her pink silk dolman blouse, which she had thought would be cute to wear for a night out, suddenly felt too loose, too uncomfortable, too damp, too cold as she began to cry. Letting herself cry for the first time in months was cathartic, but Marinette knew that it was pointless; no amount of tears would bring the love of her life back to her.

She wished more than anything that she could be back in Adrien's bedroom, in his bed, swaddled in one of his oversized sweaters, protected by his embrace. She missed him so much that it hurt physically, but she had to suppress her feelings. She had suppressed them for so long already; she supposed that she could suppress them for a little while longer, or at least for the rest of her life.

The turquoise-haired rockstar beside her simply allowed his pregnant companion to cry without trying to stop her, as if he could tell that she needed the release; after a minute he adjusted his position and shifted closer to Marinette.

"I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this," she laughed self-consciously through her tears, rubbing a hand to her forehead as she steadied her breathing, collecting herself. "It just feels really good to be able to tell someone. All these pregnancy hormones are just make me so emotional. Thanks for listening, Luka."

When Luka didn't respond, Marinette wiped beneath her eyes with the heel of her hand and turned to face him. She felt an arrow of white-hot heat shoot between her legs at what she saw; he was watching her with a sort of primal intent, eyebrows scrunched in agony and knuckles white from squeezing his fist.

"Luka?"

Without a word, Luka straightened up in his seat and leaned forward; he took both of her hands from where they rested in her lap and cradled them in his own slender finders, cocooning them, his rings hot against her skin, warmed by the heat of his blood. He took a group of deep breaths in succession to maintain his composure before speaking.

"Mari... all those years ago, at Alya and Nino's wedding– that wasn't just a meaningless, drunken hookup." His eyes bored into hers with an intensity that caused Marinette's heart rate to spike. "Do you know that?"

The change in conversation cut through Marinette like a hot knife. It suddenly became incredibly difficult for her to swallow or remember to breathe; she struggled for a second, working the muscles of her mouth and throat, before she managed a nod.

"I never intended for it to be a one night stand or anything like that," he continued softly. "I tried to see you again, when I was in Italy, but you were busy with work."

"I'm sorry," Marinette whispered, feeling the shame creep into her expression at remembering her half-lie to avoid facing Luka after their indiscretion; she felt ashamed of herself for not owning up to what they had done together and giving him a chance.

He shook his head and gripped her hands tighter. "I should have tried harder. I shouldn't have let you slip away. I didn't sleep with you that night of the wedding just because I was drunk and you were there. I wanted to be with you… because I've _always_ wanted to be with you. I've been in love with you since the moment I first saw you."

The shock of Luka's confession rippled through Marinette like a wave, causing her heart to hammer against her ribs. Of course she had known that Luka had always cared for her.

But he had actually been _in love_ with her?

 _And he still is,_ she realized. The fact made her blood pound in her ears.

"And when I saw you all alone, drinking by yourself, you looked so sad and so hurt… I couldn't stand it. I was intoxicated, yes, and I've regretted that fact ever since. You deserved better for your first time." He lifted one of her pale hands to his face and pressed a chaste kiss to her knuckles, allowing his lips to linger a moment too long. "But seeing you made me realize how much I needed you in that moment; it made it difficult for me to focus. I should've taken my time instead of rushing things. I should have eased you into it and focused more on your pleasure instead of mine."

His attention shifted to placing kisses along her wrist and the tendons of her arm, leaving a fiery trail that caused Marinette to squirm in anticipation. It warmed her in ways that she had forgotten, awakening a slumbering arousal within her womb that she had long believed that she'd never feel again.

 _This feeling..._

"Could you ever forgive me?" His voice rumbled gently against the crevice of her elbow.

Marinette's answer was a throaty whisper, too distracted by his lips on her covered shoulder to formulate a coherent response: "Y-yes."

"I feel like I've missed my chance too many times. I don't want to miss you again, Marinette– you're the only girl for me."

She craved Luka more than she craved her next breath. It had been so long since she had felt _that_ way; not since Adrien had last made love to her, the night before he had shattered her heart into a million pieces.

No, "love" wasn't the right term; her last night with Adrien had been empty and emotionless, as she had learned after the fact that his heart had been elsewhere, belonging to some other, strange woman who wasn't Marinette.

But Luka wasn't Adrien. Luka cared about her– he _loved_ her– and he wanted to make her feel good.

Marinette wanted to let him.

 _Cat cares about you, too,_ Marinette reminded herself. _But you couldn't give him a chance. What makes Luka different?_

She knew the answer to her own question before she could even ponder it; Luka was different because she didn't love him. At least, not deeply– that meant that he was _safe_. That she wouldn't be risking having her fragile heart broken further by sharing a night of passion with him.

Could that mean that, deep down, she truly did love Cat Noir? Was she in love with him? Could she be with him someday? She couldn't bear to think about it; whenever she thought of love, only Adrien came to mind.

She needed a distraction.

When Luka's mouth moved from the hollow of her neck to her jawline, Marinette tilted her face towards him, allowing her lips to brush his as lightly as the touch of a feather. Luka took his invitation to kiss her at last, pressing his mouth to her own in a soft meeting of lips, caressing her petal-pink flesh with the tip of his tongue. Marinette found the sensation pleasurable; it wasn't wholly unlike her first kiss with Luka, but this time she was sober enough to truly enjoy it. A bolt of electricity sparked between her legs.

Marinette deepened the kiss, moaning when Luka's tongue entered her mouth, exploring the moist inside with tantalizing strokes. It caused a tingle to travel through her; goosebumps erupted across her skin. He gently pushed her back on the sofa and Marinette obliged, twining her arms around his neck for leverage as he moved on top of her, careful to keep his weight off of her stomach.

As the kiss became more heated, all thoughts of Cat and Adrien dissipated from Marinette's consciousness, until all she could focus on was Luka and his tongue swiping over her tongue and the heat of his body on top of her, pressing her into the cushions of the sofa.

 _This is what I need,_ Marinette thought. _Physical affection. Sexual satisfaction. A night of pleasure. Anything to make me forget Adrien. Anything to distract me from the pain, even if only temporarily._

Luka had pushed her blouse up to reveal her swollen breasts contained by a plain bra, and Marinette had trailed her fingers down over Luka's taut abs to reach his belt buckle, when the sound of a door slamming open jarred the pair from their impassioned activity. They broke their kiss and looked up in unison to see who had intruded on their private tryst.

There, standing in the doorway, red-faced and shell-shocked, stood none other than Adrien Agreste.


	24. Chapter 24

Time around them seemed to slow to a stop. The buzzing of the fluorescent lights overhead flooded Marinette's ears, her vision tunneling until the only thing she could see in the room was Adrien and Adrien alone. Her hands froze where they still rested at the top of Luka's tight black jeans. His knee remained nestled firmly against her crotch.

" _Adrien?_ "

He looked just as she remembered, dressed handsomely in a casual plaid button-up shirt, brown leather jacket, and jeans; his blond hair was shaggier than when she had last seen him, having grown a couple inches in the past six months, but his freshly-shaved face and bright peridot eyes were the same, save for the evident tiredness underlying his expression.

Her first instinct told Marinette to shove Luka off of her and grovel at Adrien's feet. The second instinct, and the one that surprised Marinette the most, told her to throttle Adrien by the neck and scream at him until her throat was raw.

She did neither, too stunned to do anything but stare, suddenly acutely aware of how uncomfortable her position with Luka was; sensing the change in Marinette's mood, Luka carefully peeled himself away from her, just in time for Adrien to rush forward and grab him by the front of his open shirt. He threw the blue-haired man aside in an uncharacteristic act of aggression.

"Adrien!" Marinette shouted as she leapt to her feet as quickly as she could, desperate to keep the two men from delving into a no-holds-barred brawl. She winced when she moved too quickly for her condition, causing a sharp pain to ricochet throughout her abdomen; when she clutched a hand to her stomach and doubled over, Adrien's shocked gaze was drawn to her.

"Marinette… you're…"

"Pregnant, yes," she huffed, finishing his sentence for him. Luka placed a comforting hand on her back.

Adrien's haggard eyes softened. "Is it…"

"It's not yours– don't worry."

She straightened up to face Adrien, whose narrowed eyes flicked to Luka where he stood just behind Marinette. "It's yours, then?"

Luka scoffed and crossed his arms. "Don't be ridiculous, man."

"How far along are you?" Adrien turned his attention back to Marinette. He wasn't a great judge, but to him she looked ready to burst; at least six or seven months. "Were you pregnant while we were together? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Luka moved to stand in front of Marinette defensively. "That's enough questions, mate. She doesn't owe you an explanation for anything. Not after what you did."

"Don't talk like you know what happened, Couffaine. It doesn't involve you," Adrien growled, clenching his fists at his sides.

"No, Adrien, it doesn't involve _you,_ " Marinette interjected, stepping to stand beside Luka; it took every ounce of her strength to keep her voice level. "You gave up any stake that you may have had in my life or my wellbeing when you broke my heart and left me for someone else, so don't try to act concerned now."

Adrien visibly recoiled at having his own lie thrown back into his face.

 _It's not an act,_ he wanted to protest, but he knew that she was right; he had given up any claim to her. If only she could know that it was for her own good.

"It was Chloe, wasn't it? The other woman." Marinette laughed to herself. "I don't even need to ask, do I? Of course it was. Who else could it be?"

Adrien opened his mouth to protest when a clamor of voices arose from the hallway, cutting him off; Nino and Alya barged in through the open door, followed by the same burly security guard from earlier, hollering at the pair about how they weren't allowed back there.

"About bloody time you showed up," Luka grumbled at his hired protection as he gestured to his unwelcome guests. The security guard frowned in embarrassment.

"Dude, what the hell are you doing?" Nino gasped at Adrien, struggling to catch his breath from the run to get to the back of the building. Sensing her distress at the situation, Alya moved towards her best friend.

"Mari, are you alright? What happened here?"

"I'm fine. Nothing happened, but I'm tired. I just want to go home." Marinette sighed, rubbing her arms. Without being asked, Luka picked up her jacket from where it had been slung over the back of the couch and draped it over her shoulders.

"I'll take you."

As Marinette mustered her courage to move forward to pass Adrien, he reached out and gripped her upper arm gently, but firmly enough to stop her in her tracks; it took all of Marinette's willpower not to look at him.

"Who's the father?" he asked quietly. "If it's not mine, then whose is it?"

He couldn't help how desperate he felt at seeing her again– and seeing her _pregnant_. He _needed_ to know the answer. It didn't make any sense; then again, nothing in Adrien's life had made any sense since the night of the reunion, except for his unwavering feelings for the dark-haired woman with bluebell eyes standing as still as a statue in front of him.

Marinette's tone was clear and steady when she responded, her expressionless face set in stone: "Everyone has their secrets."

Pulling her arm free, Marinette brushed past the stunned group without a word. Luka shot Adrien a smug, yet oddly sympathetic expression.

"Sorry, mate."

He followed after Marinette down the hallway and was gone.

Adrien sighed and ran a hand roughshod through his hair. He fought the urge to punch a hole in the nearest wall. Instead, he moved over to the door and leaned his forehead against the cool metal frame.

"Who is it, Alya?" he demanded. "I know that you know. Tell me."

Alya put on an innocent facade. "Who is what?"

"The father of Marinette's baby."

"I don't know."

Adrien lifted his head. "She didn't tell you?"

"No." She put both hands up in front of herself. "I don't know who it is, I swear. All I know is that it happened the night of the reunion– when she got cursed by Witchkraft."

"Well, what did she say about him?"

Alya shrugged. "She didn't really say much. He's a mystery."

Adrien pushed himself off of the door frame to face his friends; Marinette's pregnancy didn't make any sense, and neither did any of what Alya had said. Why wouldn't Marinette tell her best friend, the person that she told everything to, the identity of her child's father? Why would she feel compelled to keep it a secret?

She had to have a _damn_ good reason to keep mum about it. A reason such as not even knowing her lover's identity herself.

"Alya," Adrien started, an idea coming to him suddenly. "Didn't you say that the only people affected by Witchkraft's spell that night were people from our class? People who were in that room at the reunion?"

"It looks that way, according to my investigations for my report."

"Who all was affected?"

Alya began to count off on her fingers. "Ivan impregnated Mylene, Kim impregnated Ondine, and– allegedly– Rose and Juleka impregnated each other. Then there's myself and Nino, and Marinette. Sabrina wanted Chloe but ended up alone, because Chloe was akumatized, and Marc wanted Nathaniel but ended up alone as well. Neither Max nor Alix were hit as they both escaped out of the front doors as soon as Witchkraft appeared. And Lila wasn't present at all that night." She gave Adrien a sideways glance. "Why do you ask?"

"And you're sure that it was only people from our class affected that night?"

"Pretty sure. Chloe– Witchkraft– only went after people from our class, even after she left the party. Normal Parisians were unaffected."

Adrien frowned. "Doesn't it seem weird to you that everyone is accounted for _except_ for Marinette and whoever she ended up with that night? Everyone has a match except for Marinette."

"I guess." Alya raised an eyebrow. "What are you implying, Adrien? That she ended up with someone not from our class?"

"Not exactly."

Adrien wasn't sure what he was implying, but he knew what he was thinking; if he had been present at the reunion and been cursed as Cat Noir, perhaps Marinette had also been cursed… while incognito as the superheroine known as Ladybug. That would explain Marinette's missing lover, as well as Adrien's own.

Not only would that mean that Marinette _was_ Ladybug, but that would also mean that Marinette was carrying his heir– that she was pregnant with _his_ child.

It had to be the only explanation.

Alya cocked her head at her friend. "Adrien, I know I've asked you before, but... did _you_ get hit by Witchkraft's spell that night?"

Adrien wasn't listening anymore, too wrapped up in his own dizzying thoughts as they came to him in waves. Could Marinette– his Marinette– be his Lady after all? As he thought back on it, all of the pieces seemed to fit perfectly.

"You told us that you got out in time," Nino accused.

Alya huffed and put her fists in her hips. "Well, then, who did _you_ end up with if it wasn't Marinette?"

"I gotta go," Adrien said with a start, oblivious to their interrogations. "I promise that I'll tell you guys everything someday."

He gave each of them a quick hug in succession before spinning on his heel to run down the hall and catch up to Marinette before it was too late.

" _Don't do anything rash, bro!"_ he heard Nino call out after him.

Upon exiting the venue and stepping out into the chilly evening air, Adrien desperately looked up and down the empty street to try to see which way Luka and Marinette could have gone together, but they were already long gone.

Plagg flew out of the inside of his master's jacket to aid in the search, scanning the surrounding area with a paw over his eyes. "What are you up to, Adrien?"

"I _have_ to speak to Marinette," Adrien replied. "I think… I think that she _is_ Ladybug, and has been all along. I'm almost certain of it."

Plagg gasped. "What makes you so sure now? You've had this hunch before but you could never prove it."

"Look, Marinette hasn't told anyone who the father of her baby is. According to Alya, everyone from our class partnered up with someone, or at least _tried_ to partner up with someone that night. Except for Marinette. And the only other person from our class who got hit by the spell is _me_. I don't know the true identity of my soulmate, and she must not know the true identity of hers. How else could that be explained unless she's Ladybug and I'm Cat Noir?"

 _Marinette might be my soulmate after all._ His heart quickened.

"So… you're saying that Marinette must be Ladybug, based on circumstantial evidence?"

Adrien nodded; Plagg grimaced.

"That sure sounds like a bit of a stretch, Adrien. Are you sure it's not just wishful thinking?"

"I don't know. I've always had this gut instinct; I get the same feeling when I'm around Ladybug that I get when I'm around Marinette. And her scent, like vanilla and berries… it's hard to explain, but all the evidence lines up, pointing to Marinette as Ladybug's secret identity."

Adrien inhaled deeply to steel his nerves. "The only way I can find out for sure is to go to Marinette tonight and reveal my secret identity to her once and for all." He tilted his head upward to gaze at the clouds above that threatened rain. "Once I show her, she'll either reveal herself as Ladybug, or– worst case scenario– she'll know my secret at last, and I'll tell her everything and beg for her forgiveness. Even if she won't take me back, even if I ruin my chance with Ladybug forever if I turn out to be dead wrong– no more secrets."

The tiny kwami meeped. "Adrien, once you share your identity, you can _never_ take it back. The repercussions are endless and unknown. Anything can happen, and it may not be good. Are you sure that you want to do this?"

"I'm positive." He clenched a fist in determination. "That's why we have to get to Marinette before Luka does or says anything to change her mind. I need one last chance."

"But she went _home_ with _Luka,"_ the black cat kwami squeaked. "Judging from what we saw back there, I think he plans on doing more than just changing her mind. You'd have to get there pretty quickly to stop them in time."

Adrien held up his hand, his Cat Miraculous gleaming in the light of the street lamps.

"That's where you come in. Plagg, claws out!"

He transformed in a flash of light, wasting no time in sprinting to the rooftops to head in the direction of Marinette's family's bakery, praying to all of the gods that he knew of that he wouldn't be too late.


	25. Chapter 25

Marinette came to a stop just outside the side door to her family's apartment above the bakery, then turned around to face Luka where he stood behind her. The chilly evening walk from the venue to her place had been a long, silent one, and so Marinette was glad to finally have a chance to take a much-needed shower and be alone with her thoughts. It was already late,

"Would you like me to come inside?" Luka offered, his tone light but pessimistic; it was apparent that he already knew what the answer to his obligatory question would be. Marinette gave him a sad smile in return.

"No, Luka. I'm sorry. But it was really good to see you again. Thank you for inviting me out tonight and listening to me vent. It means a lot to me to know that you care."

The blue-haired rocker dared to reach out and tuck a stray lock of Marinette's hair behind her ear; his fingers were cold against her cheek, cooled by the autumn air. A hint of something akin to longing darkened his eyes when he stared meaningfully into her own. "The Agreste kid messed you up that badly, huh?"

"He did. But… I still love him," Marinette confessed, hugging herself. "I've been in love with him since the day I first met him as a teenager, when he offered me his umbrella. I've never loved anyone else before him, or after him… I'm in love with him and I know that I will be for the rest of my life. Even if he doesnt love me back. Even if he doesn't want to be with me. Even if I end up alone. I'm content to live my life for my child, keeping my love for him alive in my secret heart."

She touched a tender hand to her collarbone, resting her fingers there, feeling her own pulse thrum beneath her fingertips; she was resolute, resigned to her fate. She'd love Adrien from afar, devoted to him without being with him for the rest of her time on Earth, allowing herself to focus solely on raising her child and giving him or her the best life that she possibly could. No one could ever replace Adrien in her heart or even come close, not even Cat Noir; the only person she could ever love more was her child. That much she knew.

"Are you sure that you don't want me to come upstairs?" Luka teased.

"I'm sorry, Luka. I really am."

"Can't help who you love, right?" He shot her his own sad smile. "And who knows, maybe I'll get another chance in another few years. If you ever get lonely, or if you just need a friend, you call me, yeah?"

Marinette nodded with a smile. "Of course. Thank you."

With a nod, Luka stuffed his hands in his pockets and strolled down the avenue, back in the direction from which they had come. Marinette watched him go before she turned her attention upward to stare at the sky, and for a moment Cat Noir worried that she could see him where he was perched on her rooftop, even in the dark; but she lingered for only a single, wistful minute longer on the stoop before she turned the key in the lock, opened the door, and disappeared inside of it.

Adrien had heard _everything_.

Not only had she turned away Luka because of her feelings for Adrien, but she had promised to never love anyone except him for the rest of her life. Hearing the depth of Marinette's devotion to him had caused a stirring inside of Adrien; he felt shame, guilt, sadness, elation. Above all, he felt _love_. For everything that Marinette had said, he felt the same way about her tenfold. His heart swelled with the revelation, inflating with the love he had for Marinette that he had repressed for so long.

For _too_ long.

He couldn't bear to be without her any longer. He would tell her the truth, the entire truth, and beg for her to take him back, on his knees if he had to. Plagg would tell him that was what he should have done all along, and maybe Adrien could admit that the little nuisance was right for once– no matter what the outcome would be.

–

Marinette let out a deep breath as she wrung out her hair with a towel, still damp from her shower. The hot water had done wonders for her tired and sore body, but she was more than ready to rest her aching feet and get some much-needed sleep after the events that had transpired that day.

After brushing out her hair, Marinette rubbed her skin all over with scented lotion and dressed in a silk nightie; she'd had to buy an entirely new set of sleepwear at the Galeries Lafayette to accommodate her growing torso, as well as had to replace almost her entire wardrobe with maternal clothing. The realization that she'd have to buy all new clothes was only one of the many unexpected challenges that had come along with her equally unexpected pregnancy.

Going through it alone, however, was the hardest part.

Sitting down on her bed, Marinette revelled in the way that the soft mattress sank beneath her weight, inviting her to lie down, slip into unconsciousness, and forget her troubles for awhile. She allowed herself to fall back, her head hitting the pillow, and sighed.

"What an exhausting day," Marinette remarked, palming her bulging belly. Tikki flitted about her head and yawned a tiny yawn.

"You're telling me." She paused thoughtfully, then flew to land beside her mistress on the bed. "Marinette?"

Her heavy eyelids had already slipped shut. "Hm?"

"Marinette… I've been thinking."

"About what?"

"About something that Chloe said," she squeaked. "A couple of weeks ago. At the bakery."

Marinette threw an arm over her face. "Can we talk about it later? I'm beat."

"It's important," Tikki insisted. "That day, when she came into the bakery to get the cake for Adrien, she said something… _odd_."

Her mistress's attention was piqued. She cracked open an eye and focused it on the little bug. "Go on."

Tikki seemed to weigh her words briefly before speaking them: "She taunted you… that Adrien isn't the father."

Marinette winced, but said nothing; Tikki continued.

"She also implied that you don't know who the father of your baby was… but that _she_ does."

"What are you saying, Tikki? There's no way Chloe could know that Cat Noir is my baby's father. Unless…"

Marinette opened both eyes and sat up. "Are you saying that you think that Chloe _knows_ that I'm Ladybug?"

Tikki shrugged. "It's either that, or maybe she knows Cat Noir's secret identity and figured it out from there. She _was_ the one who cursed Cat Noir in the first place– maybe she saw him before he transformed. Maybe she knows _both_ of your secret identities, and planned the attack as Witchkraft on purpose!"

 _It isn't a bad theory,_ Marinette thought, _except for one tiny detail._

"But would Chloe be able to remember a detail like our secret identities if she was akumatized?" she asked her kwami incredulously.

"Maybe not," Tikki said, tapping her chin. "Unless she already knew beforehand… _or_ if she was a current Miraculous holder."

"Which Miraculous could she possibly have?"

"Well, Master Fu did say that there is only one that's still missing."

 _The Butterfly Miraculous._

"It's a bit of a stretch to come to that conclusion just from something bitchy that Chloe said, Tikki," Marinette sighed. "But maybe it's something we can look into tomorrow. I suppose any lead is a good lead. At least it's a start."

She yawned and returned her head to the pillow, curling her body on its side into a position more conducive to sleep.

"Marinette," Tikki started again. "Did you mean what you said earlier? About Adrien?"

Marinette opened her eyes once more, focusing on the far wall; her heart thumped at the sound of his name alone. "Yes, I did."

"Even if… even if he's with Chloe, or someone else?"

"Of course." Marinette rolled over into her back and pressed her lips together in a firm, flat line. Tikki crawled up onto her mistress's belly, bringing herself to eye-level to speak to her.

"If you love him so much, maybe you should try to talk to him," she suggested. "Lay everything out on the table. The worst he can do is reject you, and he's already done that."

A tear slipped from Marinette's eye. All of the anguish that she had held back at seeing Adrien again began to push forth, pressing against her eyeballs in a desperate strain for release. It didn't help that she was beyond exhausted on top of it all.

"I'm sorry, Marinette. I don't want to make you cry. But I can't bear the thought of you being alone forever! I want nothing except for you to be happy."

Marinette nodded. "That's alright, Tikki, thank you. But would you mind giving some time by myself tonight? I need to be alone."

"Of course." Tikki flew up and planted a tiny kiss on her mistress's forehead before flying off to find a cozy place to doze off.

Finally left in silence, Marinette buried her face into the pillow and sighed. She closed her eyes, intent on focusing on her breathing to help herself fall asleep, but her mind couldn't stop turning, mulling over Tikki's words and replaying her meeting with Adrien over and over again. Soon enough, her breaths began to shake, gradually escalating to full-body sobs. She gripped her pillow and cried into it, releasing months of heartbreak and anguish into the pliant fabric.

Perhaps there had been a part of her– an isolated, miniscule, microscopic part– that had always held on to the hope that she and Adrien could reconcile someday. She accepted the reality now; Adrien was never returning to her. She would never be his, and he would never be hers. She would never be able to call him, talk to him, hold him, kiss him, make love to him…

She would never raise a child with him. They'd never be a family, not even a broken one. That privilege was now reserved for Cat Noir, and Cat Noir alone– a man she neither knew nor loved.

Marinette cried even harder at the realization, folding her trembling body on the mattress until her knees nearly touched her tear-streaked face, allowing the catharsis of her tears to overcome her until she fell asleep. When she finally slept, with one hand gripping the pillow and the other cradled protectively over her belly, she dreamed only of an empty darkness.

–

 **Author's Note: Holy moly, I'm sorry! I've been working on this chapter for weeks and weeks and weeks… I'm just stuck on it. So, sorry for the late and short update, but the good news is that this chapter was originally twice as long, and I split it. That means the next chapter is already half-done and should be a bit easier for me to write. As far as my outline goes, we are nearing the end of the fic– only a few more chapters to go.**

 **To everyone who has supported me and contributed to my Ko-fi, thank you so much! You have no idea how much it helped. I'm currently unemployed (still), but I have had some interviews and some leads for potential jobs. The future's looking bright for the first time in a long time.**

 **I'll be contacting everyone who has supported me as soon as I can to take requests for thank-you fics. If you'd like to contribute, my Ko-fi handle is** **sofiahahn. Thank you!**

 **Next chapter coming much sooner than this one.**


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